


Best Dads Ever

by megsblackfire



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Baby!McCree, Blood, Gore, Implied Voyeurism, Jack and Gabe are kinky and I never know what's going to happen in their bedroom, M/M, My Dads do some scary things in the basement, Rogue Agents, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-08-27 23:23:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 42,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8421634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsblackfire/pseuds/megsblackfire
Summary: Jesse McCree has the best dads ever. Sure, they do really scary things in the basement to people that Jesse isn't allowed to talk to and they have a saferoom for him to hide in when Daddy's dogs start barking, but they love him and care for him.Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes are rogue agents determined to keep Jesse safe from Talon and Overwatch. The former wants their experiment back and the latter can't be trusted. They'll do whatever it takes to protect Jesse while keeping the world safe and reminding each other just how much they love each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【翻译】Best Dads Ever 绝世好爸 By megsblackfire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11064927) by [PsychoHildegarde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoHildegarde/pseuds/PsychoHildegarde)



Jesse shuffled forward quietly. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be in the basement when his Papi was working, but he really wanted to show him what he’d drawn. Papi always loved to see his drawings and Jesse was really proud of this one. It actually looked like he wanted it to. He clutched the paper to his chest, whimpering a little as a pained scream reached him. He edged towards the little sphere of light, swallowing as he saw a foot twitching on the ground.

The air reeked of blood and excrement. The screaming had stopped at least and he shuffled forward, eyeing the massive black form that was hiding the man in the chair from sight. His Papi moved out of the way of the light and Jesse closed his eyes so he wouldn’t see the man strapped to the chair’s bloody face. Papi was humming something softly, snapping his fingers as he looked over his tools.

“Papi,” Jesse said softly as he padded forward.

“Jesse, you aren’t supposed to be down here,” Papi sighed as he turned away from the bench and cleaned his hands off on a badly stained towel. “Does Daddy know you’re down here?”

Jesse shook his head and Papi sighed. He ran his hands through his close-cropped curls and smiled sadly. Before he could start telling him what a naughty little boy he was, Jesse held out his picture.

“I drew this!” he said proudly.

Papi blinked before he smiled widely and knelt down for a better look. “Aw, _m’ijo_ , is this a little lion?” he asked. Jesse nodded proudly and Papi pulled him close for a kiss. “It’s beautiful, _m’ijo_. What a little artist you are!”

Papi covered Jesse’s face in kisses before he hoisted him up onto his hip. He turned around and held the picture up for the man in the chair to see. Frightened brown eyes darted from the picture to Papi’s face as Jesse hugged his neck. Papi smirked and kissed Jesse’s nose.

“Look at this; isn’t my little _m’ijo_ talented?” he purred.

The man nodded his head shakily, whimpering around the wires holding his mouth open. Jesse did his best not to look at the man, focusing instead on the soft bristles of his Papi’s beard. Papi gave Jesse’s cheek another kiss before he set him down.

“Go show Daddy what you drew, _m’ijo_ ,” he said. “Papi has to get back to work.”

“Okay,” Jesse smiled before he hugged his picture to his chest and hurried back towards the stairs.

He closed the door just in time to cut off the next round of screams. He toddled into the kitchen where his Daddy was making lunch and pulled on the bottom of his apron. His Daddy liked to wear silly frilly aprons and they always made Papi laugh, especially when Daddy started dancing. Daddy looked down curiously and smiled.

“What you got there, Jesse?” he asked as he cleaned his hands.

Jesse proudly lifted the picture. “Papi liked it!” he said happily.

Daddy’s smile faltered. “Jesse, did you go downstairs when Papi was working?” he asked sternly. Jesse ducked his head and nodded. “Jesse Reyes-Morrison, you know better than that. Papi’s work is very dangerous. You could get hurt and we don’t want that.”

“I wanted him to see it first,” Jesse whispered.

Daddy smiled and knelt down. “Oh, I know, baby. Come here,” he crooned.

Jesse happily crawled onto Daddy’s lap and snuggled against him. Daddy’s strong arms wrapped around him and hugged him close while he covered his nose and cheeks with kisses. Daddy gave the best hugs; his arms were so big and strong and they wrapped around him perfectly. Papi’s hugs were nice too, but he always squeezed a little too tightly, like he was afraid Jesse was going to slip away if he didn’t. Jesse giggled and reached up to push at his Daddy’s face, loving the way his blue eyes crinkled in a smile. Daddy gave him one last firm kiss on the nose before standing up with Jesse on his hip.

“Come on, little cowboy; let’s have some lunch.”

Jesse cheered as Daddy set his picture on the table and set him down in his chair. He squirmed happily as Daddy set a plate of fish-shaped chicken fingers in front of him and a small portion of apple slices and yogurt. He kissed Jesse’s cheek before walking over to the basement door and opening it.

“Honey, lunch is ready,” he called.

“Two shakes, pumpkin,” Papi called back.

Jesse giggled at the silly names as Daddy put his and Papi’s lunch on the table. Papi went to the washroom to wash the blood off of his face, whistling a different tune than the one he was whistling in the basement. Jesse grinned happily as Papi kissed Daddy’s cheek and sat down across from Daddy.

“How’s the little rugrat doing in class today?” he teased as he reached over to pinch Jesse’s cheeks.

“Very well,” Daddy smiled fondly at Jesse. “He loves his mathematics, don’t you, Jesse?”

Jesse nodded happily as he stuffed the apple slices in his mouth. Papi smiled before he and Daddy started discussing something about work. Daddy frowned and shook his head, grumbling about “noise” and “dogs”. Papi nibbled on his apple slices as he glared at the table. He growled something in a language Jesse didn’t know and Daddy turned a faint shade of pink.

“Gabriel!” Daddy squeaked.

Papi shot Daddy a grin that even Jesse knew was inappropriate and shrugged a shoulder.

“Oh, come on, _cariño_ , it’s not like our little rugrat knows what I just said,” he crooned.

“All it takes is one slip in the grocery store and everyone will,” Daddy started to counter before he fell silent.

Outside, the dogs were barking furiously, the sharp piercing mechanical noise making Jesse whimper and rub at his ears. Daddy and Papi looked at each other and Jesse stuffed the last of his chicken fingers into his mouth before they were taken away from him. Daddy picked him up and carried him into the living room while Papi pulled a gun out from under the table and loaded it. Jesse clung to Daddy, whimpering softly as he opened up the door to the saferoom. Daddy kissed his cheek and set him down.

“You stay here and don’t come out until Papi or I come get you,” Daddy said sternly. “No matter what, okay?” Jesse whimpered and nodded. “I love you so much, Jesse,” Daddy soothed before he gave him a gentle push into the room and closed the door tightly.

Jesse went and hid under the cot in the corner, tugging his “safety pony” up against his chest, and closing his eyes tightly. He didn’t have to wait long before the sounds of gunfire reached him. He hid his face in Prancer’s belly and cried as quietly as he could.

* * *

 

Jack kissed Gabriel heatedly as he accepted his pulse rifle from his husband. “Be careful,” he begged as he snapped his mask on.

Gabriel’s form wavered and shifted into Reaper. “I always am.”

“Liar,” Jack snorted before he shouldered the back door open.

He took off at a sprint around the side of the house. He made it to the dog kennel just as the first bullet whipped past his head. He crouched down and released the pack of omnic hounds staring at him from the other side of the fence. He kissed the lead hound’s forehead before pointing towards the men advancing on the house.

“Kill,” he ordered.

The five hounds rushed past him, black plating shifting as they charged. They leaped on the first man and tore him to pieces, shredding his armor, flesh, and bone like tissue paper. Jack hauled himself up onto the shed and started shooting, keeping his head down to avoid getting sniped. Reaper was misting through the trees, red eyes gleaming momentarily each time he looked up at Jack.

Someone shot a concussive round at him and he dove off of the shed as the roof started falling apart underneath him. He rolled at he hit the ground, springing up to unleash three helix rockets into the group that was charging him. They exploded as the rounds hit them, spraying gore in all directions. They didn’t even have a chance to scream.

One of the hounds came limping over to him, part of its face blown off and sparking. It was a mess, the plating cracked and leaking fluid all over the ground. He would need to do extensive repairs on the poor thing.

“Power down,” he ordered.

The hound let out a series of beeps before curling into a ball and powering down. Jack ran his hand slowly over the cooling metal before he pulled his sidearm off of his hip and started forward. His hounds circled him, snarling as the invaders struggled to regroup. He could see their emblem blazing on their shirts and he smirked.

Overwatch. They never learned. He made a quick signal with his hand and his lead hound charged, feinting at the last moment, and lunging for one of the men off to the side. The other hounds followed, braying mechanically as they advanced on the Overwatch agents. Jack fired twice and swung his pulse rifle around to fire off a few rounds. The agents fell lifeless to the ground, their guns and ammunition quickly snatched up by the hounds and dragged off to Jack’s workshop for repurposing.

He could hear the rapid-fire blast of Reaper’s shotguns. There were still more agents swarming the front of the house. He grit his teeth in annoyance and bolted for the front. He smashed the butt of his rifle into the back of an agent’s head and unloaded his clip on the group that spun around to face him. He glanced up, trying to find his husband in the swarm of bodies, and ducked down behind the woodpile.

“DIE, DIE, DIE!” Reaper roared as he unleashed Death Blossom.

Jack heard the garbled screams of the agents as they died to a rain of buckshots. He poked his head over the woodpile, picking a few stray bb-pellets off of the bark before they could set the dry wood on fire. He set up his rifle on the top of the pile and fired on the stragglers hoping to catch Reaper off-guard. Reaper didn’t even react to agents dropping dead around him; he was too busy enjoying the souls of the fallen.

Jack checked to make sure there were no more agents, sending the hounds out to scout ahead of him. When he found no more life signatures, he retreated to the back of the house and hurried inside. He brushed the false wall aside to the saferoom and knocked on the door.

“Jesse, you can come out now,” he called.

A whole minute ticked by without any reaction from the other side. Jack smiled; good, Jesse was learning not to trust voices. He gently rapped his knuckles three times on the door and then dragged his fist down the front, using the special signal to let Jesse know that it was him on the other side of the door. He heard scampering from the other side before Jesse happily threw it open.

“Daddy!” he shrieked as he threw himself into Jack’s arms. “I was so scared!”

“Ssh, ssh,” Jack soothed as he held his son close. “You did very well, my little cowboy,” he crooned.

He paused as he heard the sound of a shotgun being cocked behind him. He pressed Jesse in close to his chest, grabbed his sidearm, and twisted around. He pointed his gun at Reaper, angling himself so that he was hiding Jesse at all times. His son stayed silent against his chest, shaking as he held Prancer tightly to him. This was just another thing he had gotten used to.

Reaper kept his shotgun trained on him, not moving a muscle. It was a stalemate, a standoff, neither one ready to flinch for even a moment. That could be anyone behind Reaper’s mask. It could be anyone behind Jack’s. Jesse wouldn’t know any better at his age, but his parents would. They had to be sure.

“What is the music of life?” Reaper growled slowly.

“Silence, _mi amor_ ,” Jack said just as slowly. “What is the gift of death?”

“Solace, _mi amor_ ,” Reaper sighed and lowered his shotgun. “Had me worried.”

Jack chuckled as he holstered his sidearm and stood up, propping Jesse on his hip. He removed his mask and tossed it onto the coffee table, pushing his hair out of his face.

“Thought you were going to shoot me,” Jack teased as Reaper gave way to Gabriel.

“Never,” Gabriel teased as he kissed Jack’s lips. “Mmm, you’re covered in blood.”

“None of it my own,” Jack reassured him. “How were the souls?”

“Filling,” Gabriel smirked before he picked Jesse up and held him close. “Did Prancer keep you safe, _m’ijo_?”

“Uh huh,” Jesse smiled as he hugged the chubby plush horse close. “He’s really brave, Papi.”

“So are you,” Gabriel cooed as he kissed Jesse’s chubby cheeks. “Come on; let’s go play upstairs while Daddy gets himself cleaned up.”

Jack smiled as he watched them go before he pulled his clothing off. He picked up his communicator as it vibrated across the counter, smirking as he brought up the holographic interface. He was naked, but the person on the other side would only see his face.

“Ah, Ana Amari,” he greeted. “As lovely as ever.”

“Where are my agents, Morrison?” Ana snarled, her brown eyes boring in Jack.

Once he would have been terrified of that expression. He would have been cowering in the corner begging Ana to forgive him. Now, he knew how powerless the woman actually was. She had nothing but Overwatch and Overwatch was just a puppet on strings for the UN. She had nothing on him. He was free and she was a caged bird.

“Dead, I’m afraid,” Jack clicked his tongue. “Oh, you can’t send them after me and then be shocked when I kill them, Ana.”

“How can you take out twenty agents?” she demanded.

“I’m not alone,” Jack smiled sweetly. “Gabriel is an amazing partner. It’s too bad you had to turn on us, Ana. Imagine how good we could have been for Overwatch. Well, no matter, hmm?”

“Jack Morrison, I swear,” she snarled.

“Spare me the platitudes, Ana,” he rolled his eyes. “Keep your agents off of my property and we won’t harm a single one of them. Threaten our lives again, however, and we will not be kind. You don’t want us kicking your door down, Ana.”

“What are you playing at, Jack?” Ana demanded. “Do you think this is funny?”

“Hilarious,” Jack smirked. “Have a good day, Ana.”

He hung up before she could say anything. He bundled his clothing up and headed for the laundry room, humming softly to himself. He tossed the soiled clothing into the washing machine and turned it on, whistling as he measured out detergent. He pulled on his favourite blue housecoat when he was finished and padded upstairs to see how his baby was doing. He smiled as he watched Gabriel play “aeroplane” with Jesse, smiling up at their son as he balanced the boy on his feet.  

“Air Jesse, coming in for a landing,” Gabriel teased as he curled his legs against his chest and covered Jesse’s cheeks in kisses. “Oops, met some turbulence on the way down.”

“And an abduction,” Jack smirked as he walked over and scooped his son up. “Oh, whatever shall Air Jesse do?” he asked in mock surprise as he held his son over his head with ease.

Jesse laughed and reached for Jack, grinning widely. “Daddy!”

“Yell for your Daddy?” Jack mused before he dropped onto Jesse’s bed and huffed. “Well, that might work. Does your Daddy love you?”

“Yes,” Jesse laughed as he wiggled. “Papi too!”

“Oh, do they now?” Jack dropped Jesse onto his chest and covered his mouth in shock. “You must be the luckiest child in the world!”

Jesse giggled happily and nodded his head. “Yup!”

Jack dropped his other hand to his forehead. “How could I have ever been so cruel as to abduct such a beloved child?” he asked in mock horror. “Oh, what a cruel, cruel villain I am. Come; we shall bring you back to your parents immediately!”

“You’re silly, Daddy,” Jesse laughed as he hugged Jack around the neck.

“Not nearly as silly as your Papi,” Jack smiled as he sat up. “Hun, do you want to keep playing or…?”

“I’ll play with Jesse; you go entertain the guest,” Gabriel smiled as he sat down beside him and kissed his cheek. “Just remember not to spill anything.”

“When do I ever?” Jack asked as he got to his feet.

He got changed into his blood-stained clothing and headed down into the basement. He smiled at the man strapped to the chair and leaned in to brush their hair aside. Gabriel was intimidating with his size and his amazing scowl. Jack played nice, smiling and speaking sweetly to their latest acquisition, before he started playing mean and continued smiling. It unnerved them in a way that Gabriel couldn’t.

“Oh, my darling didn’t rough you up too much, did he?” he asked as he looked the equipment over. There were two blood molars on the table and he patted the man’s cheek. “Aw, he did. I’m so sorry for his behaviour. But, you know, we wouldn’t have to do this if you told us what we wanted to know. Let’s start over from the beginning, okay?” He smiled at the man before picking the power drill up. “What is Talon planning in France?”

The man’s eyes grew big and he thrashed in his restraints. Jack let out a long sigh before he tapped the head of the drill against the man’s knuckle.

“See, this is the problem,” he said sadly. “I just can’t let you get away with withholding information. Now, tell me what Talon wants with the French Administration and this doesn’t have to get nasty.”

The man shook his head and Jack pouted.

“Suit yourself.”

Jack kept his predatory grin off of his face as he drilled into the man’s nailbed and listened to the man scream.

* * *

 

“Learn anything useful?” Gabriel asked as he exhaled his cigar smoke.

Jack absolutely forbade him smoking in the house, too worried about what the smoke could do to Jesse’s lungs. Gabriel wouldn’t have smoked in the house anyways; the smell was always horrendous. So, he was leaning against the house by the back door enjoying his hard-earned cigar.

“Nothing,” Jack huffed angrily as he put his hands on his hips. “Can we kill him?”

“It’s only been a day, _cariño_ ,” Gabriel laughed as he leaned over to drag his husband close. “Give me time to break him a little more. A biotic field will have him feeling better in no time.”

“Can’t replace teeth, Gabe,” Jack huffed as he tucked himself against his husband’s chest. “How’s Jesse?”

“Fast asleep,” Gabriel smiled and kissed his husband. “Mmm, little tyke tuckered himself out. So much energy spent to get him to forget about this afternoon.”

“Did he cry?” Jack asked as he laced his fingers with Gabriel’s.

“A little,” Gabriel sighed. “But he felt better when his Papi gave him lots of hugs and kisses.”

He hated seeing his baby cry. Jesse was such a delicate little thing when he was scared and there was only so much Gabriel could do to make him feel better. He’d been that way since he’d saved him from one of Talon’s experiments.

There’d been no records of the child; no family, no name, no way to track who the egg and sperm donors were. He and Jack had only just started their solo careers, but they had agreed that they couldn’t let the baby fall into Overwatch hands. They were just as bad as Talon, only they had the UN approving all of their medical experiments so they could pass as legal. There was no telling what they would do to a child that was genetically rewritten for improved accuracy and hand-eye coordination as well as a host of other improvements they hadn’t started testing for.

So, there they were, four years later still raising their son while avoiding Talon and Overwatch agents. He wondered sometimes how two war-hardened veterans managed to be so sweet and gentle with their delicate baby, but then he’d see Jesse sleeping against Jack’s chest and know that there was still softness inside of them under the sadistic pleasure. They would do anything to keep Jesse safe; he was their whole world.

“Ana called, by the way,” Jack sighed. “The usual bullshit.”

“Hmm,” Gabriel growled. “We have to deal with her.”

“Not easy getting close to anyone in Overwatch, especially with us being on the top of their kill-list,” Jack mused. “Might be best to go off the radar for a little while. Give Jesse a chance to be with kids his age.”

“And your hounds?” Gabriel chuckled.

Jack pouted and waved a hand. “They’ll be fine. They can do their own diagnostics while I’m away. And they’re resourceful enough to remain hidden,” he said. He turned around in Gabriel’s arms and looked up at him. “Jesse’s only been around us, Gabe. He doesn’t know what it’s like to be with other kids his age. He deserves that. It’s important for his development.”

“I know,” Gabriel sighed as he rested his forehead against Jack’s. “But he’s still a kid. What if he says something about what he has seen us do to people?”

“If he’s smart enough to learn to wait for a special knock, he can learn to not say anything about what his daddies do for a living,” Jack smiled. “Besides, we’re good enough actors that if someone did come around looking for two dangerous rogue agents that we would convince them that Jesse has an active imagination and that he just saw us doing a little roleplaying.”

Gabriel hummed in agreement before he kissed Jack again. Jack let out a sigh against his lips and reached up to wrap his arms around Gabriel’s neck. He pressed in close, rubbing his hips against Gabriel’s until both of them were half-hard. Gabriel stubbed his cigar out in the ashtray before he hoisted Jack up onto his hips.

Jack squirmed against him, panting and huffing as they drew apart. His hands clawed down Gabriel’s back, lips pulling back to show off his teeth. His bucked his hips, growling up at Gabriel until Gabriel’s hands clenched possessively around his ass. His head lulled back as he moaned, leaving his throat exposed to Gabriel’s hungry mouth.

He kissed and bit along the expansion of finely tanned flesh. Jack shivered against him, gasping softly as Gabriel kneaded his ass. Jack’s hands balled in the fabric of Gabriel’s shirt before he pushed away, landing a little unsteadily.

Jack grabbed Gabriel by the front of the shirt, face flushed with desire and blue eyes blown wide. He dragged Gabriel into the house, kissing him and growling as they headed up the stairs. They paused in front of Jesse’s room to make sure their son was still sleeping, before continuing down the hall to their room.

Gabriel stripped his husband out of his clothing and pulled his perfect body in close. He rolled his hardening cock up the inside of Jack’s thigh, loving the loud moan it drew from him. Gabriel knelt down and mouthed over Jack’s cock, feeling each throb as his lips brushed the trembling length. Jack hissed and shoved his head away.

“I want you in me, Gabriel,” he growled. “I know if I let you swallow my cock I’ll spend all night there.”

Gabriel smirked before he slowly stood up. He pulled his shirt off over his head, grinning as Jack’s hands rolled over his chest and abs. His fingers dipped into every scar, nails dragging slowly to make Gabriel tremble. His jeans came off next, along with his underwear, and he fisted both of their cocks. Jack shuddered against him, whimpering in delight as Gabriel slowly pumped them together.

“Gabe,” Jack moaned as he tried to pull away. “Don’t tease me.”

“But it’s the best part,” Gabriel purred as he followed Jack closely. “I love hearing you moan and squirm, _mi sol_. It sends a thrill right through me.” He leaned in close so that his lips were just brushing Jack’s ear. “It makes me want to fuck you harder than ever before.”

Jack’s fingers dug into his flesh before he was scrambling for the lube. Gabriel laughed as he hauled his husband onto their bed, kissing and biting his shoulders and neck. Jack was moaning and bucking under him, cock bobbing with his movements. Gabriel dragged his hands down to his husband’s hips and held him in place as he slapped his hips possessively against Jack’s ass.

“Mine,” he growled.

Jack moaned and released the death grip he had on the bottle of lube. Gabriel plucked it up and coated his hands. While one hand dedicated itself to covering his cock in a thick coating, his other one pushed deep into Jack’s entrance and scissored him open. Jack gasped and arched into him, clawing at the bed sheets as Gabriel swirled and curled his fingers over Jack’s walls. He let out a soft sob of pleasure, rolling his head back to watch Gabriel.

“ _Te necesito_ ,” he moaned.

“Mmm, that’s what I like to hear,” Gabriel growled as he continued prepping his husband. “Almost ready, _mi sol_.”

He spread his fingers wide and smirked as he watched Jack’s entrance tremble around his knuckles. He pulled out slowly and ran his finger around the loosened rim. Jack moaned and rolled onto his stomach, hoisting his hips into the air. Gabriel grabbed them possessively, growling down at his husband as he teased the rim with the head of his cock. He pushed in slowly, feeling the walls tighten around him.

“Ah,” Jack gasped and arched his back. “Yes, right there.”

“Here?” Gabriel asked as he rolled his hips.

“Yes,” Jack gasped as he glanced over his shoulder.

His pupils were blown wide, almost hiding the beautiful irises from sight. Sweat was already beading down his face, following the faint scars that peppered Jack’s beautiful face. A faint smirk passed over Jack’s flushed lips as he arched his hips into Gabriel’s lap.

“Mmm, that bear is new,” he mused.

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder and smirked. Yes, very inconspicuous Ana; putting a bear the wrong colour next to every other Valentine gift Jack had ever gotten him. He shook his head before leaning over Jack’s back and kissing his neck.

“Shall we put on a show for our voyeur?” he asked.

Jack laughed and nodded. Gabriel rolled onto his back and helped Jack sit up. Jack stretched his arms over his head, groaning as he sheathed Gabriel down to the hilt. Gabriel settled his hands on Jack’s hips, smirking at the brown bear amongst the pastels with ribbons around their necks and clinging to huge red hearts. He patted Jack’s thigh, signalling that he was ready.

Jack laughed and tossed his head back as he started bouncing slowly. Gabriel groaned at the sensation, loving the sight of his cock moving so fluidly in and out of Jack’s heat. He licked his lips and tipped his head back as Jack rode him expertly. The bed creaked beneath them, but they knew that Jesse wouldn’t wake up. He was used to the sound of his parents rutting down the hall and their breathless proclamations of love.

He felt Jack’s walls tighten around him as Jack let out a long moan of pleasure. He slumped forward, groaning as Gabriel thrust up into him to reach his own completion. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned as Gabriel held his hips against his pelvis and painted his insides with seed.

“Mmm, that to your liking, Ana?” Gabriel asked as he rubbed his thumbs over the small of Jack’s back. “Or would you rather we do a different position?”

“Mmm,” Jack chuckled before he pulled himself off of Gabriel’s length and stood up. “I think that’s enough snooping for tonight. Maybe we’ll let her watch from a better position tomorrow.”

He walked over to the plush bear collection and turned the brown bear around. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked as he turned around, seed spilling down the inside of his thigh. Gabriel shifted himself up against the headboard and patted his thigh.

“Shall we do this facing each other, _mi sol_?” he purred.

“Gladly,” Jack licked his lips as he crawled up the bed towards him.

Gabriel groaned into the kiss as he guided himself into Jack’s trembling entrance. His hands settled around Jack’s hips before helping him start a smooth, slow pace.

* * *

 

Jesse hid behind Daddy’s leg as he stared at the other children on the playground. He had Prancer against his chest, holding onto him tightly. He glanced up at Daddy and swallowed nervously.

“You’re going to love it, Jesse,” Daddy soothed as he knelt down.

He had dyed his hair brown and while Jesse was used to it, he missed the pretty gold. Daddy looked funny with brown hair; it didn’t really suit him. He was supposed to be sunshine and laughter; how could he be sunshine if his hair was such an ugly shade of brown? He held Prancer up to Daddy’s face and bit his lip.

“Prancer’s scared,” he said softly. “He doesn’t think he’s going to like anyone.”

“Aw,” Daddy pouted. “I’m sure Prancer will make lots of friends, Jesse. He’s such a loveable horse. And Papi worked so hard on his new saddle too; doesn’t he want to show it off?”

Jesse smiled and shifted a little. He did love Prancer’s new saddle that his Papi had made for him. It had Jesse’s name scrawled across the side in beautiful embroidery so that no one could steal it from him. He was still really nervous though.

“Does Prancer need a kiss to help him feel better?” Daddy asked.

Jesse nodded. Daddy kissed Prancer’s nose before leaning forward to kiss Jesse’s cheek.

“Come on, my little cowboy, let’s go see your teacher,” he soothed.

Jesse held onto Daddy’s hand as they walked up to the school. The teacher greeted them warmly, smiling down at Jesse and reassuring him that he and Prancer were going to like Senior Kindergarten. Jesse helped Daddy put his schoolbag and lunch pail in his cubbyhole. Daddy knelt down to kiss his forehead and Jesse whimpered.

“Ssh,” Daddy soothed as he gave Jesse’s shoulders a tight squeeze. “You’re going to be okay, Jesse,” he said. “You’re going to have lots of fun today and Papi will come pick you up when you’re done, okay?”

Jesse nodded and rubbed at his eyes. “Okay,” he whispered. “Promise?”

“Pinky swear,” Daddy smiled as he held up his pinky.

Jesse eagerly wrapped his pinky around Daddy’s and nodded. “Okay.”

“You two be good,” Daddy teased as he stood up.

Jesse waved before following the teacher over to a desk. None of the students made fun of him for holding Prancer and more than a few asked where he got him. They were absolutely mesmerized when he told them that his Papi made Prancer for him. The day was amazingly fun and everyone seemed shocked when he could add and subtract better than all of them.

When Papi showed up at the end of the day, Jesse ran up to meet him. He thought Papi looked funny with glasses sitting on the end of his nose and his hair hanging in his face, but his smile was still the same. The other parents stared at Papi in shock as he carried Jesse out to the car; they’d probably never seen anyone as big as Papi before. That made Jesse giggle.

“So, school was good?” Papi asked as he strapped Jesse into his booster-seat.

“Yah,” Jesse grinned as he hugged Prancer close. “I can’t wait to go back tomorrow!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Gabriel laughed as he kissed Jesse’s nose. “Daddy missed you. Make sure you give him a big hug when we get home, okay?”

Jesse nodded and eagerly settled back in his seat. His dads were the absolute best! He didn’t even care that they did weird things to people and got into gunfights; he loved them and they were the best!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the amount of support I have for this story has blown my mind a little bit. Like, I didn't realize you guys were this into the story! It's amazing! Thank you so much.

“And Jesse is such a sweet-heart!” Mrs. Ziegler smiled as Jesse and Angela raced around the backyard. “He’s always asking if there’s anything he can do. He’s so smart for his age.”

“He was homeschooled,” Jack smiled as he sipped pink lemonade with the blonde woman. “I started teaching him as soon as he was showing an interest in learning. He’s a very quick study.”

“That’s fantastic!” Mrs. Ziegler clapped her hands. “Oh, he’s so smart, Jack. He’s putting his teacher through the wringer trying to keep him interested.”

Jack covered his mouth to hide his giggle. It amused him to no end when people complimented his little boy. Jesse was doing so well in school and he was making so many friends. All the parents loved him when he went over and were more than happy to let their kids go over to Jesse’s when they asked. Gabriel wasn’t fond of all of them because he found they triggered his flashbacks more often than not, but Jack could handle them well enough. It left Gabriel time to work in his office without being disturbed.

Gabriel thought he had made some headway into finding out what Talon was planning with Jesse’s experiments and if there were other children suffering as he had. So far, it looked like there had been, but they were terminated when they weren’t showing the results Talon wanted. Each time Gabriel found another file on a child that had been euthanized, he lit a candle and held silent vigil.

“His birthday’s coming up, isn’t it?” Mrs. Ziegler asked. “Are you throwing him a party?”

“I…considered it,” Jack said slowly.

To be honest, he didn’t think having a lot of kids around Gabriel was a good idea. If one of Jesse’s friends made him relive the Crisis on a regular day, he didn’t want to know what a bunch of screaming, excited kids would do. He and Gabriel were still trying to figure out what to get Jesse to commemorate him turning six anyways.

“You should,” Mrs. Ziegler smiled. “I think he’d love it!”

“He would,” Jack sighed as he watched Jesse fall over and play dead so that Angela could revive him.

“What are we talking about?” Gabriel asked as he sat down beside Jack.

Jack saw the way Mrs. Ziegler shifted away from Gabriel. She was uncomfortable with men Gabriel’s size and Gabriel always did his best to look smaller when she was in the house. Gabriel kissed Jack’s cheek and looped an arm around his shoulders, smiling at him from around his glasses.

“Jesse’s birthday,” Jack smiled as he nuzzled his husband. “Loraine thinks he should have a party.”

“Hmm,” Gabriel rubbed at his beard. “We did want him to have a normal childhood,” he mused. “Parties are normal.”

Jack nodded before he whistled at his son. “Jesse! Jesse, come here!”

“Coming, Daddy!” Jesse shouted as he immediately scrambled to his feet.

He hurried over with Angela giggling at his heels. They scrambled up onto the porch and Jesse eagerly climbed onto Jack’s lap, snuggling against his chest. Jack smiled and ran his fingers through his son’s hair, making a mental note to get his son a hair appointment. It was getting a touch too long and was starting to hang in his eyes.

“Your birthday’s next week,” Jack said. “Would you like to invite some friends over for a party?”

Jesse stared at him in awe before he nodded his head. “Yes! Yes please!” he squealed. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Jack laughed as Jesse hugged him tightly. He bounced happily on his lap, managing not to sack him in spite of where he was settled. Angela giggled from where she was sitting on her mother’s lap, her blue eyes sparkling.

“Is it going to be cowboy themed?” she asked as she kicked her legs.

“Yes!” Jesse grinned. “Cowboys are the best!”

Gabriel ruffled Jesse’s hair. “My little cowboy’s turning six,” he cooed. “What does he want? No ponies.”

Jesse tapped his lip in though before he smiled shyly up at Gabriel. “Can I have a cowboy hat?”

Gabriel looked at Jack in amusement. That would take some time to make, but it was definitely in Gabriel’s skill range. They nodded in agreement before Gabriel kissed Jesse’s nose.

“Might not be ready for your birthday, but I can make you a cowboy hat,” he promised.

Jesse cheered before he excitedly started talking about all the kids he wanted to invite.

***

“You sure you’re okay with this?” Jack asked as he and Gabriel walked through the party store looking for supplies.

“Jesse wants a party,” Gabriel rubbed the small of Jack’s back. “I’ll be fine, Jack. If it gets to be too much, I can go hide in my office.”

Jack let out a sigh as he turned to look at his husband. Gabriel smiled reassuringly at him and kissed him, rubbing their noses together. They got a few dirty looks, but their sheer size kept anyone from saying something. Jack cupped Gabriel’s face before he turned to look at the aisle.

“Okay, which looks the most like Western fare?” he asked.

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. “None of it,” he said. “You sure this is the aisle that salesperson was talking about?”

“Aisle Three?” Jack asked as he looked up. “There should be something cowboy related here.”

Gabriel shook his head as Jack walked up and down the aisle looking for supplies. He grabbed some cups that looked a little rustic as well as a shot glass that he couldn’t resist. At Gabriel’s disbelieving look, he grinned.

“Oh come on! It’s a shot glass,” he grinned as he lifted the bullet-shaped glass up. “It’s the best pun ever!”

Gabriel let out a long suffering sigh. _“Most dangerous man alive and you adore puns,”_ he teased in Spanish.

“You love saying them,” Jack smirked as he set the cups and shot glass in their shopping cart. “So which is worse, _mi amor_?”

Gabriel gave his backside a firm swat as they continued scouring the aisle for anything that they could use. They found a few party hats, but Gabriel wasn’t satisfied with anything else. He made a comment about going to an adult party store and Jack begrudgingly admitted that it might have what they wanted. They paid for what they found and Jack settled himself down in the truck, hoping that no one noticed him as Gabriel drove across town to the adult party store.

* * *

 

Gabriel set the poster for “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” against the wall and flattened it into place.  Jack was making punch in the kitchen, keeping Jesse occupied with coasters so he wouldn’t go and eat the snacks before any of his friends show up.

It turned out that the adult party store didn’t have anything either. He found a few cute things for Jack to wear in their bedroom, but aside from that, he’d only managed to find non-sexy cowboy silhouettes. They’d printed off a lot of the decorations instead, much to Jesse’s delight.

The doorbell rang and Jesse bolted to answer the door. “Jesse, hang on!” Jack laughed as he cleaned his hands and followed his son.

Three kids came screaming into the room and Gabriel flinched. He took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves, but the kids started squealing. There were Bastion units advancing on him when he closed his eyes. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

“Jesse,” he called. “Come here, _m’ijo_.”

Jesse came hurrying over immediately, smile fading as Gabriel knelt down. Gabriel did his best to smile and hug his son close, kissing over his cheeks.

“Hey, _m’ijo_ , Papi has to go to his office,” he murmured. “You be good for Daddy, okay?”

Jesse nodded and kissed his cheek. “Okay, Papi. You feel better,” he said.

Gabriel smiled and kissed Jesse’s cheeks one more time before he stood up. He walked over to Jack as he was talking with the parents of the kids that had just shown up. Jack looked a little surprised to see him, but his surprise morphed into concern as soon as he saw Gabriel’s eyes.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s chest.

“Noise is a little much,” Gabriel admitted as he nuzzled Jack’s dyed brown hair. “I’ll be in my office.”

“Okay,” Jack smiled and kissed his cheek. “I won’t be far, _mi luna_.”

Gabriel smiled and gave Jack a firm kiss on the lips before he headed for his office on the second floor. He closed the door behind him and went to where Jesse’s hat was sitting. He grabbed his sewing supplies and got to work on the simple design.

He lost track of time and glanced up as he heard a knock at the door. “Yes?” he called.

His hand reached slowly under his desk for his pistol. He narrowed his eyes as he set the hat down on the desk. Jack would have entered by now with his customary ‘you shoot me and I’m kicking your ass’ and Jesse would have been squealing about his party. He pulled the pistol out and fired the silenced weapon as the muzzle of a handgun rounded the edge of the door.

He vaulted his desk and went into his wraith form. The bullets passed through his smoky form, embedding themselves in the wall. He snarled and fired on the men that pushed into his office, ditching the pistol for his customary shotguns.

“Get out of my house!” he roared as he lunged for the closest man.

He grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, firing on the other two men that were aiming at him. He spotted the curled tattoo on the man’s neck and snarled before tearing his throat open and devouring his soul. Talon had found them.

He twisted around as the Talon agent dissolved into dust. He shrieked his fury before turning into smoke and leading them away from his office. He turned as soon as his feet hit the hardwood, firing on the men until there was nothing left but shredded meat. He devoured their souls quickly, grinding his heel into the ash.

He vaulted the railing and landed hard on the ground floor. He glanced around the groundfloor, looking for the point of entry before kicking the front door closed. He could hear the kids laughing outside and knew he had to move fast. If Talon was surrounding their house, he didn’t have time to phase back to normal.

He heard a gunshot outside and the kids screamed in fright. He bolted for the sliding glass doors and pushed it open, lifting his shotgun. He blasted a Talon agent away from one of the kids and walked out into the backyard.

“Everyone inside,” he ordered. “Move!”

The kids stared at him in horror, but Jack got them moving with a sharp whistle.  Jesse clung to Jack’s leg, staring at Gabriel as if he were the most terrible thing he’d ever seen. Gabriel did his best not to let his heart break at the sight, keeping his attention focused on the Talon agents. He growled and widened his stance, lifting both shotguns up in front of him.

“Who’s next?” he demanded.

The agents stared firing on him and Gabriel collapsed into smoke. He ghosted forward, throwing shadows and smoke over the closest agent. He dragged them down into his being, tearing them apart on the molecular level and devouring their soul. He blasted through the remaining agents, devouring their souls as he went.

He stood panting in a ring of ash and stumbled. He braced a hand on the fence and dragged his claws over his mask. Staying in this form was draining, taxing his cells to their limit. Reaper was an unnatural abomination that Gabriel had to live with festering in his guts.

“Reaper,” Jack shouted as he hurried outside. “Cops are on their way.”

Gabriel let out a low growl before he spotted Jesse pressing himself against the glass door. He looked around quickly, shotguns ready to start firing at a moment’s notice.

“That was Talon,” Gabriel growled. “Get Jesse inside, now. I’m going to make sure that there’s no more.”

“And if he asks…?” Jack narrowed his eyes.

“Papi stepped out for something,” Gabriel said as his lower half dissolved into smoke. “Deal with the cops.”

He vanished over the fence ringing their backyard in and started hunting for any remaining Talon agents. He found someone a few meters into the treeline behind their property and dragged them out of their little tree fort. They unloaded three bullets into his stomach and Gabriel had to disengage to vomit the bullets out. They bolted and Gabriel followed as soon as he could.

They led him on a merry chase through the woods. They were more agile than Gabriel was, but that didn’t stop him from catching up. His claws tore their armor from their body, exposing soft flesh for him to hook his claws into and slam them against a tree.

“Who sent you?” he snarled.

The agent coughed and shook their head. Gabriel snarled and slammed them against the tree again. It groaned in protest as a large crack appeared in the bark running up towards the branches overhead. The agent sputtered blood onto Gabriel’s white facemask, but he didn’t care.

“Answer me, you worthless piece of shit,” Gabriel snarled before punching the agent. “Who sent you?!”

The agent took the beating and let blood dribble out of their mouth. One brown eye regarded him dully before they smiled.

“Ana says ‘hi’,” they coughed before lifting a detonator in their hand.

Fear ran through him. He had no idea where the charges for that detonator were. All he could think of was the house going up in flames with Jack and Jesse inside of it with no way of knowing what was about to happen. He shrieked in fury and tore the agent’s throat out, disemboweling them as his claws elongated into six inch razor blades.

He dropped the agent to the ground, grabbing the detonator before it could accidentally be pushed. He pushed smoke into the device, feeling his way through the machinery until he was certain that all the dangerous components were deactivated. He crushed it into dust when he was finished, crouching down to tear the armor off of the agent.

He found the Overwatch symbol, but it was the wrong colour. Black and red where it should have been white and orange. He frowned, tearing the patch off and stuffing it into a pocket. He headed back towards the house and crouched in a tree waiting for the police to leave. He was there most of the afternoon and only dropped into the backyard as the sun was setting. He walked up to the patio door and was met with a pulse rifle as soon as he pushed it open. He stayed perfectly still as Jack pushed the muzzle up under his jaw.

“August 14th,” Jack snarled.

“The day you finally managed to pin me to the mats after our last injection,” Gabriel said.

Jack let out a long hiss before he removed the pulse rifle. “What the hell happened?” he demanded.

“Talon and Overwatch have found us,” Gabriel said as he let his Reaper guise melt back into his gut. “Talon was after Jesse, no doubt. Where is he?”

“Living room,” Jack glanced towards the living room. “You scared him.”

Gabriel let out a long sigh before he handed the weird symbol to Jack. Jack squinted at it and nodded before he headed for Gabriel’s office to start looking into what the symbol could mean. Gabriel walked slowly into the living room, running a hand through his curls.

“Hey, _m’ijo_ ,” he murmured.

Jesse was sitting on the couch with Prancer clutched to his chest. He didn’t look up as Gabriel approached, but tears did trickle down his face. Gabriel sat down slowly beside him, looking down at his son. He gave him all the opportunities to run if he wanted. He wouldn’t give chase, not until Jesse was ready to face him.

“Sorry about your party,” Gabriel murmured.

“Did you kill those men?” Jesse whispered softly.

Gabriel closed his eyes. “I did,” he said.

“Why?” Jesse whispered.

“They were threatening my family,” Gabriel replied. “I wasn’t going to let them hurt you.”

Jesse held Prancer up. “Prancer thinks you’re really scary,” he said. “He wants you to hug him to show him that you aren’t going to hurt him.”

Gabriel took the plush horse from Jesse and cradled it in his arms. He stroked slowly over the soft mane and back, smiling at his son.

“I would never hurt Prancer,” he said. “I love him very much. I only hurt those that threaten my family.”

Jesse looked up at him and smiled, wiping at his tears. “Prancer’s sorry for being scared of you, Papi.”

“He doesn’t have to apologize,” he soothed. “I am a very scary person, Jesse. But I want you to know that I will always protect you, no matter what.”

Jesse nodded and climbed into his lap, snuggling in against his chest. “I love you, Papi,” he murmured.

“I love you too, Jesse,” he said as he held his son close.

* * *

 

Jesse said good-bye to Angela on the last day of school and trotted after Papi to the truck. His cowboy hat bobbed as he walked, reminding him that he really was a cowboy now. He had to be brave and strong because all cowboys were tough. Daddy like to praise him for being such a tough little boy, but he needed to be even stronger.

“Papi?” Jesse asked as he was hoisted into his booster seat. “Are we ever coming back here?”

“Probably not, _m’ijo_ ,” Papi sighed as he kissed Jesse’s nose. “I know you were just starting to make friends, but it isn’t safe to stay here.”

“I’m going to miss Angela,” Jesse sniffled.

“I know,” Papi ran his big thumb over Jesse’s cheek. “She’s a sweet girl. Maybe you can meet her again when you’re older.”

Jesse wiped at his eyes as Papi buckled him in. They drove home and Jesse did his best not to cry. He wiped at his eyes, but he was whimpering by the time Papi pulled into the driveway and let him out of his seat.

He ran inside and went straight to his room. He hid under the covers with Prancer up against his chest, crying into the soft fur. He heard Daddy knock on his door, but he didn’t answer as Daddy walked in.

“Ssh, my baby,” Daddy soothed as he laid down beside him. “I know you’re upset. It’s okay.”

“Cowboys aren’t supposed to cry,” Jesse sniffled.

“Now, who told you that?” Daddy asked as he wrapped his arm around Jesse and pulled him in close. “It better not have been your Papi.”

“The movies say it all the time,” Jesse sniffed as he poked his head out from under the covers. “Cowboys don’t cry. They’re tough and strong and always do what’s right.”

“And what if the right thing to do is to cry?” Daddy asked with a kind smile.

Jesse frowned at the question. Daddy smiled and kissed his nose and cheeks before wiping the tears away.

“Jesse, it’s okay to cry,” he soothed. “Everyone does it.”

“Papi doesn’t,” Jesse whispered.

“Papi cries,” Daddy smiled. “Papi cried after those bad men almost hurt you. He cries every time you get a really bad booboo.” He leaned in close. “He even cries when he sees kittens playing.”

Jesse giggled and covered his mouth. His Papi loved kittens; he’d even heard him call Daddy ‘ _mi gatito_ ’. He snuggled against Daddy’s chest, tucking his face in against the warmth.

“I’m going to miss my friends,” he murmured.

“I know, baby,” Daddy said. “But you will get to meet more people and make more friends. That’ll be fun, right?”

Jesse nodded. “Can I have supper now?” he asked.

“Of course,” Daddy smiled as he scooped Jesse up and kissed his cheeks. “You’re growing up so fast, baby.”

Jesse smiled as he was carried down to the kitchen. Papi was talking on the phone with someone with a big frown on his face. He growled something Jesse didn’t understand and Daddy tensed. Jesse was set down at the table and a bowl of spaghetti was put down in front of him.

“Gabe?” Daddy whispered as he put a hand on Papi’s arm.

Papi shook his head, turning his head just enough to look at Daddy. Daddy pursed his lips together before he got himself a bowl and filled it full of spaghetti. Jesse shivered as he felt the tension in the air growing as Papi kept talking on the phone. He was almost done eating when Papi finally hung up and sat down for supper.

“Don’t fight!” Jesse blurted out.

Daddy and Papi looked at him in surprise. They looked at each other before smiling.

“Oh, baby,” Daddy smiled, “we aren’t mad at each other. I promise. You can feel the tension, huh?”

Jesse nodded and rubbed at his eyes. “I don’t want you to fight,” he said softly. “Cory’s parents fight all the time and it makes me feel sick.”

“We won’t fight,” Papi promised. “We do need to talk, however, but it can wait. How was your last day of school?”

“Sad,” Jesse sighed. “But they did throw me a going away party! I ate three brownies!”

“I hope you mean pieces and not three whole brownies,” Daddy teased as he reached across the table to pinch Jesse’s cheek. “Otherwise I’d be very worried.”

Jesse nodded his head and giggled. “Angela gave me a gift too! It’s really pretty!”

He hopped down from his chair and hurried over to his backpack. He pulled the wand out of his backpack and hurried over to show it to his Papi. Angela had whispered that his Papi couldn’t see it, but that was stupid. Papi saw everything he got! He held it up and his Papi’s face darkened.

“Jesse, you can’t keep that,” Papi said sternly.

Jesse blinked and held the wand to his chest. “But I like it! And Angela gave it to me,” he said.

“That’s the problem,” Papi sighed as he held his hand out. “You have to leave it here, _m’ijo_.”

“No! My friend gave me this!” Jesse shouted. “It’s our friendship wand!”

Papi took a deep breath before he knelt down and gently took Jesse’s shoulders in his hands. “Jesse, I know that Angela gave it to you and that she is your best friend, but that wand is dangerous,” he said. “You have to leave it here.”

“You just don’t like it because it’s pretty!” Jesse shouted at him. “You hate it when I have pretty things!”

“ _M’ijo_ , that’s not true,” Papi frowned. “I get you lots of pretty things. This wand….”

“Gabe,” Daddy sighed. “Let him keep it.”

“Jack, are you…?” Papi started to rise to his feet but Daddy lifted a hand.

“Jesse, go put that back in your backpack, okay?” Daddy smiled at him. “I’ll talk with Papi. Go play in your room until bedtime.”

Jesse gave Papi a victorious grin before he skipped to his backpack and put the wand away. He headed up to his room and entertained himself until Daddy came to tuck him in. He slept through the night and woke to Papi carrying him out to the truck.

He dozed off in the booster seat as his parents packed the truck with the things they couldn’t live without. When he woke up he didn’t know where they were. He reached for his backpack, kicking his feet as he dug through it looking for his wand. He blinked in confusion as he couldn’t find it. He found all the going away cards everyone had made him, but Angela’s wand was nowhere to be seen.

“D-daddy? Where’s my wand?” he squeaked.

Daddy bowed his head in the front seat. “I’m sorry, baby,” he murmured. “You couldn’t bring it with us. Those bad men would have been able to find us.”

“Angela gave that to me!” Jesse shrieked. “It was mine!”

“I know,” Daddy said.

Jesse screamed and started kicking his feet. He tried to reach the back of Papi’s seat, but his feet were a few inches too short. He felt the truck pull over to the side of the road and Papi got out of his seat. Jesse continued screaming until Papi’s big hand covered his mouth.

“That is enough, Jesse Reyes-Morrison,” he said. “Which would you rather, your wand or being hurt?”

“Gabriel!”

“Not from me, Jack, damn it,” Papi snapped. “That wand had a tracking device in it. Like the ones they use in those spy movies you watch with Daddy. If we took it with us, those bad men would have followed.”

Jesse hiccupped and shook his head. “I hate you!” he screamed.

Papi closed his eyes before leaning forward and kissing Jesse’s cheeks. “So be it,” he said before he pulled his hand away.

Jesse cried, but didn’t throw another fit as they continued down the road. He fell asleep angry and woke up feeling miserable. Daddy unbuckled him and carried him into a motel room, kissing over his cheeks as he helped him get changed into his pajamas.

Papi brought supper in that smelt really good, but Jesse was scared to go near him. He pulled on Daddy’s arm, sniffling and asking where Prancer was. Daddy retrieved the plush horse from his suitcase and handed it to Jesse, smiling reassuringly. Jesse buried his face into Prancer’s belly before he walked over to Papi.

He reached up and tugged on Papi’s pantleg. “Papi?” he whispered.

“What’s wrong, _m’ijo_?” Papi asked as he turned to kneel down.

Jesse stuffed Prancer into Papi’s face. “Prancer doesn’t feel good,” he said. “He was scared he was going to be left behind too because his belly hurts.”

Papi took Prancer and cradled him to his chest. “I would never leave you behind, Prancer,” he soothed. “You are Jesse’s best friend.”

“We left the wand behind and that was Angela’s best friend,” Jesse said.

“Hmm,” Papi said as he pursed his lips. “Does Prancer think he has a bug in his belly like that wand?”

Jesse nodded his head. “He doesn’t want the bad men to find us either,” he said.

“Well, it’s a good thing I have my surgical equipment,” Papi said with a nod. “Should we check to make sure he’s okay before we have supper?”

“Yes!” Jesse nodded his head.

Papi smiled and went to get his sewing kit. Jesse followed him, holding Prancer close. Papi set up the operating table on the desk in the corner, pulling up a chair so Jesse could sit and watch. They both put surgical masks on and Prancer got a mask over his nose too. Papi counted off three minutes on his watch, petting Prancer’s hair until he was certain that he was “knocked out”. Then, very carefully, he started taking out the stitches in Prancer’s side so that he could check him for bugs.

Jesse held onto Papi’s belt the whole time, biting his lip behind the mask. Papi was very thorough in his search, leaving no part of Prancer’s body unchecked. Finally, he nodded and started stitching Prancer back up.

“I give him a clean bill of health,” Papi said as he took his mask off. “I do suggest he take it easy though; stitches are very nasty when they pop.”

“Yay!” Jesse cheered as he hugged Prancer close to his chest. “Thank you, Papi! I love you!”

“Love you too, _m’ijo_ ,” Papi smiled. “Now, let’s eat some grub.”

Jesse ate everything his dads put in front of him. He ignored their conversation, knowing that it was important to them but that he wouldn’t understand any of it. Prancer laid on his lap the whole time recovering from his surgery.

Daddy got Jesse cleaned up for bed, helping him brush his teeth since he had to be held up to the sink to reach it. When he’d spit the last of the froth out, Daddy cleaned his face and patted him off to get changed. Papi was on the phone again, growling in Spanish at whoever was on the other end. Jesse got changed into his fuzzy teddy bear pajamas and stood holding Prancer at the side of the bed. Papi glanced over at him, expression sour, and nodded.

Jesse crawled into bed and snuggled against his Papi’s hip. Papi’s big hand ran through his hair until he was fast asleep. He felt Daddy’s kiss goodnight, before he sank into warm dreams of wide open prairies, herds of cattle, and a strong horse under him.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to try to make each chapter take place roughly a year apart from each other. Roughly. Jesse's age will be included each time so that it's easier to keep track of.
> 
> These guys just can't seem to find a place where they can settle down and be happy for a little while, eh? Bloody Talon and Overwatch interfering and keeping the dads from raising their baby.


	3. Chapter 3

“Doesn’t look like much,” Jack smirked as he held Jesse on his hip.

“Someone was spoiled with the last house,” Gabriel teased as he led the way up to the house and unlocked the front door. “It’ll do for now.”

Gabriel had worked hard to secure a safe place for his family. It had taken three different informants to secure him a safe, small-scale house in a quiet neighbourhood where the neighbours wouldn’t ask much. People didn’t usually move into a house with nothing to their name. He didn’t want to have to explain a hundred times that their last home burned down so they lost a lot of their belongings. Jack could secure the next house if he was going to be an ass about it.

Jesse was fast asleep against Jack’s chest, his thumb in his mouth and Prancer tucked safely against his chest. Jack pressed a kiss to their son’s head as he headed up the stairs to the second floor. Gabriel had fought for furnishing with one informant, but had managed to secure at least a bedroom set for Jesse. He’d worry about him and Jack later. They could handle sleeping on the floor for a few days; their baby could not.

“Daddy?” Jesse murmured as he slowly woke up. “‘M hungry.”

“Do you want me to get you a snack?” Jack asked as he bounced Jesse on his hip. “You should get back to sleep, baby. You have a whole neighbourhood to explore tomorrow. Isn’t that exciting?”

Jesse smiled and nodded before hugging Jack’s neck. “Can I have animal crackers?” he asked.

“Animal crackers? Before bed?” Jack asked in playful horror. “You’ll have nightmares!”

Gabriel rolled his eyes before he scooped his son up and held him up against his chest. “You’re going to kill my son with your terrible puns,” he said accusingly.

“I would never,” Jack pouted before he kissed him. “Go tuck our baby in, Gabe; I’ll get the animal crackers.”

Gabriel returned the kiss before continuing on into the bedroom. The furnishings were horrible and would have to be replaced, but that was to be expected. He had threatened to cut the informant’s dick off and shove it down his throat, so he wasn’t expecting much in return. So long as they were free of bugs, Gabriel didn’t care. It was a place for his baby to rest his head until they could find something better.

“Papi, will you sing?” Jesse asked softly.

“Of course, _m’ijo_ ,” Gabriel smiled as he sat down on the bed and carefully tucked his son in. “What song would you like?”

“The one about the woodpecker!” Jesse smiled up at him as he pulled the blanket up to his nose.

Gabriel smiled before he softly began to sing his son to sleep. He’d created a lot of songs when Jesse was a baby and they figured out that he fell asleep best when Gabriel was singing to him. Immediately, Jesse’s eyes began to droop and he pulled Prancer close to him with a soft sigh. His eyes closed and his breathing evened out before Gabriel had even reached the second verse. By the time Gabriel was finished, Jesse was fast asleep again.

“Sweet dreams, _m’ijo_ ,” he cooed and placed a kiss to his son’s forehead.

“Wish you’d sing to me like that,” Jack teased as Gabriel stepped out of Jesse’s room. “All you do is purr suggestively and wiggle your eyebrows.”

Gabriel smiled as he pulled his husband close and kissed over his jaw. “Aw, _cariño_ , if you wanted me to serenade you, you just had to ask,” he crooned.

He started singing softly, twirling Jack around in a circle. Jack chuckled, letting himself be led towards their room. He kissed Jack’s nose, chuckling as his husband pressed in close.

 _“I know you, that look in your eye is so familiar a gleam,”_ Gabriel sang as they continued turning slowly on the spot. _“And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem. But I know you, I know what you’ll do. You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.”_

Jack rested his head against Gabriel’s chest and let out a long sigh of contentment. “Oh, Gabriel, I love it when you sing,” he murmured as they came to a stop. “It’s so beautiful.”

Gabriel smiled and held Jack close. He murmured softly in Spanish, running his fingers through Jack’s golden hair. Jack smiled up at him, pressing his nose under Gabriel’s jaw.

“I love it when you speak Spanish,” he murmured. “You sound so happy.”

“You make me happy, Jack,” Gabriel purred as he ran his thumb over Jack’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Gabriel Reyes-Morrison,” Jack snuggled into his embrace.

They woke in the morning to Jesse throwing himself onto them and snuggling against Gabriel’s wide back. Jack got up to make breakfast, smiling as Jesse shook Gabriel’s shoulder roughly. Gabriel didn’t much feel like getting up yet, so he was going to make his son work for it.

“Get up, Papi!” Jesse whined. “I want you to walk with me!”

“Mmm?” Gabriel smiled as he rolled onto his back.  “Do you now?”

He lifted an eyebrow as the doorbell rang. Jesse hid under the blanket, peeking nervously out as he clutched Prancer to him. Gabriel got to his feet, grabbing his discarded pants and pulling them on. Jesse followed him, holding onto his belt loop. He could hear Jack talking with someone, the adopted homebody persona easily fitting with his sweet smile and brilliant blue eyes.

“Oh, is this a friend?” the woman asked with a smile as she caught sight of Gabriel.

“The very best,” Jack laughed as he held his hand out. “Gabriel, this is our neighbour, Gloria. She wanted to know who moved into the house. Jesse, can you say hello?”

Jesse shook his head and pressed his face into Gabriel’s leg. Gloria smiled at him, setting her hands on her knees. Gabriel did his best to keep the shift of his hips as casual as he could. He wanted to keep Jesse out of sight until he had a better idea of what this Gloria wanted.

“Aw, you don’t have to be scared of me, sweetheart,” she cooed. “You’re so cute!”

Jesse shifted behind Gabriel’s leg, pouting a little bit as he rubbed at his eyes. He tugged on Gabriel’s hand, looking up at him.

“Papi, I’m hungry,” he said.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” Gabriel soothed as he scooped his son up. “Jack, is there anything in the fridge or…?”

“There should be some muffins from yesterday,” Jack said. “Don’t feed him the chocolate ones.”

“Sorry, _m’ijo_ ,” Gabriel teased as he headed for the kitchen. “Good stuff only.”

“I liked the berry-splosion,” Jesse giggled as Gabriel set him down on the counter. “Do you like Gloria?”

“I have no reason not to like her,” Gabriel said as he got the berry-splosion muffin out of the fridge and peeled it open. “Do you not like her?”

“She’s too happy,” Jesse said as he bit into the muffin. “Fake happy. Like Daddy gets when he has to talk to cops.”

“Hmm,” Gabriel mused as he rubbed his chin. “Are you sure, _m’ijo_?”

Jesse nodded. “She’s smiling too much and it’s fake. Like Daddy’s brown hair.”

“Well, I’m proud of you for noticing,” he smiled as Jack walked into the kitchen. “What else did you notice?”

“She has crooked teeth,” Jesse giggled. “And she smells like old lady!”

“Jesse,” Jack scolded playfully. “That’s not nice, baby.”

“Jesse thinks she’s being fake nice,” Gabriel chuckled.

“Oh, she was,” Jack smirked. “Should have seen the look on her face when I told her that we’ve been happily married for over ten years. Looked like someone had stuck something foul under her nose.”

Gabriel let out a low chuckle before he pulled his husband closer for a kiss. “So, we’ll just have to scare the neighbours into clutching their pearls,” he purred as he rubbed his hand roughly over Jack’s ass.

“You’re so mature,” Jack rolled his eyes as he pulled away to start making a list. “I’m going to get groceries so our little baby isn’t living on processed food.”

“I’ll work on getting some second-hand furniture delivered,” Gabriel said as he patted Jack’s backside. “You want to go with Daddy, _m’ijo_?”

“Yes!” Jesse grinned as he stuffed the last of the muffin in his mouth. “I wanna ride in the cart!”

Jack and Gabriel exchanged amused looks before Gabriel scooped their son up and went to get him dressed for the day.

* * *

 

“Jesse, don’t squirm,” Jack said as he buckled Jesse into the grocery cart. “There, how’s that?”

“Good,” Jesse smiled before he reached for Jack. “Why’re you wearing glasses, Daddy?”

“It’s part of my disguise now,” Jack winked at his son. “Do you think Daddy will look good with black hair?”

“Red!” Jesse bounced in excitement. “Daddy should be red!”

Jack made a playful face at his son. “Red? Ugh, I’ll look even paler, baby. Papi will be so disgusted.”

Jesse giggled before he tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you ever call me _m’ijo_ , Daddy?” he asked.

“That’s Papi’s special name for you,” Jack said as he checked the prices on some flour. “Do you want me to call you _mi’ijo_?”

“Please,” Jesse smiled. “I’m not a baby anymore.”

“Oh, Jesse,” Jack smiled as he set the bag of flour in the cart and kissed his son’s cheeks. “You’ll always be my baby.”

Jesse stuck his tongue out but didn’t fuss as Jack shopped. He got into a spirited conversation with another six-year-old in the cart across the aisle when Jack was looking over baking chipits. Jack watched them in amusement, ignoring the pointed look the child’s female caretaker was giving him. Jack reached out and tapped his son’s nose to get his attention.

“What do you want, chocolate or vanilla, _m’ijo_?” he asked.

“Chocolate,” Jesse said with a nod.

Jack grabbed a few packages and dropped them into the cart. “Say your byes, Jesse.”

“Bye!” Jesse waved at the other child and kicked his legs. “When does school start, Daddy?”

“In a few months,” Jack smiled. “That excited for Grade 1?”

“Uh huh,” Jesse nodded happily. “I want to learn more math!”

Jack leaned forward to kiss Jesse’s nose. “That’s my boy,” he cooed. “Now, do you want orange juice boxes or apple?”

They got through checkout with only a few hiccups, but the cashier didn’t seem to care when Jack’s credit card was denied the first time. She chalked it up to a faulty reader that did it to every customer and didn’t think twice when it was accepted on the second try. Jesse earned more than a few “aws” from everyone around him and he happily soaked up the attention.

“My little man’s going to be trouble when he gets older,” Jack teased as he pushed the cart over to the truck and started loading up the bed.

Jesse giggled happily and nodded. “Just like you! Everyone loves to pet your hair and tell you that you have pretty eyes. But only Papi’s allowed to touch your butt.”

“That’s right,” Jack laughed as he pushed the cart over to the drop-off spot and hoisted Jesse out. “And Papi’s only allowed to touch it because I let him. Anyone touches your butt without permission and you punch them right in the nose.”

“Pow!” Jesse laughed and hugged him around the neck.

Jack kissed over Jesse’s nose and cheeks before he buckled him into his booster seat. He climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the truck over immediately so that the air conditioning was blasting. He’d forgotten how hot it got in Santa Fe regardless of the month. His cellphone went off and he picked it up, pressing it against his ear.

“Hey honey; what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Gloria was just over looking for you,” Gabriel said. “She seemed very surprised that you went to do groceries.”

“It’s really none of her business,” Jack chuckled.

“That’s what I said.”

“Please tell me that you didn’t call her nasty names in Spanish,” Jack groaned.

“I didn’t,” Gabriel promised. “I called her nasty names in German.”

“Gabriel!” Jack clapped a hand over his face. “Don’t antagonize the neighbours!”

“Hey, she’s the homophobic piece of shit, not me,” Gabriel cackled. “Besides, we both know that one poor neighbour isn’t going to make or break this for us.”

“I know, but still,” Jack grimaced. “Did you managed to get furniture?”

“A few pieces,” Gabriel replied. “You’ll see when you get home. Drive safe. I love you.”

“I love you too, Gabe,” Jack smiled.

“LOVE YOU!” Jesse shouted.

“Love you too, Jesse,” Gabriel called before he hung up.

Jack drove home, grumbling about city-drivers that didn’t know what a signal light was. He pulled into the drive and let Jesse out of his booster seat to run up to the front door. Gabriel met him there, scooping his son up into his arms and covering his cheeks in kisses. Jack smiled as he started hauling bags into the house, sharing a brief kiss with his husband.

There was a couch sitting in the living room and a dining room table set with five chairs set up around it. Jack nodded his head in approval as Jesse went running by to go see the newest additions. Gabriel hauled in the rest of the groceries like the show-off that he was and covered Jack’s neck in hot kisses. Jack groaned as Gabriel pressed against his back, rubbing the stiff head of his erection against the underside of Jack’s ass.

“Mmm, not now,” Jack soothed as he turned to kiss his husband. “Jesse still wants to go for that walk.”

Gabriel smiled and set his arms on the counter on either side of Jack’s hips. “You’re so beautiful, _mi luna_ ,” he crooned. He pressed his forehead against Jack’s and kissed him again. “I love you so much.”

“Is Papi being mushy?” Jesse demanded as he trotted over and lifted the ice cream out of the freezer bag.

“He is,” Jack chuckled. “Thank you, Jesse. You’re a big help.”

Jesse smiled as he put the ice cream in the freezer and started putting the rest of the groceries away when he could reach their spot in the fridge and freezer. Jack and Gabriel smiled at each other before moving to finish putting the groceries away. Jack knew that Gabriel would be lusting after him for the rest of the day and was eagerly waiting for the chance to let his husband ravish him. But, they had to be parents first and horny teenagers later.

They had a quick lunch of ham sandwiches before Jesse demanded that they go for a walk. Jack packed sunscreen and water bottles, making sure to cover his and Jesse’s skin in sunscreen before they left. Gabriel stubbornly refused to let Jack apply any sunscreen to him, huffing that he could do it just fine on his own. Jack made sure his stubborn husband put sunscreen on every inch of exposed skin before he let him swing Jesse up onto his shoulders for the beginning of the walk.

***

“Jesse! Water!” Jack shouted after his son as he went to bolt out the front door.

“Thanks!” Jesse squealed as he hurried back to grab his water bottle.

Jack kissed his son’s head and smiled. “You go have fun playing soccer with the other kids,” he smiled. “And don’t hurt anyone.”

Jesse nodded before he waved and hurried out the door. Jack watched from the door, smiling as his son charged over to the Vallencourt’s house to wait for Jeremy. He shook his head in amusement before he closed the door tightly.

“Gabriel?” he called out. “Honey, what are you doing?”

He heard a muffled thump from the second floor closely followed by a string of Spanish curses. Jack shook his head before heading upstairs, whistling as he headed for their room.

“You couldn’t wait three minutes to move the trunk?” he teased as he walked into the room.

Gabriel snorted at him before he gave the offending trunk a firm kick with the flat of his foot. “Someone shouldn’t have eaten so many donuts,” he growled.

“Cut the man some slack,” Jack teased as he knelt down to unlock the trunk. “He didn’t know he was about to be assaulted.”

He lifted the lid of the trunk and smirked at the man bound and gagged inside. He trailed a finger under the man’s chin and lifted it up, clucking his tongue as the man whimpered at him. Gabriel shifted into Reaper and grabbed the man by the throat to hoist him out of the trunk.

“I want answers,” he snarled before pinning the man to the ground and shoving his shotgun under his jaw. “How the fuck did you find us?”

“Honey, he’s still gagged,” Jack sighed as he reached past his husband to remove the strip of cloth between the man’s teeth. “Do answer him; he gets so angry when he’s ignored.”

“I was tipped off,” the man whimpered.

“By who?” Reaper snarled.

“I don’t know his name! He, he’s in charge of all of our contracts! Please, I won’t tell a soul where you are!”

“Basement’s all set up,” Jack said as he got to his feet. “You know where to go.”

Reaper growled as he dragged the man out of the room. Jack followed behind him, shaking his head in amusement as his husband made sure their newest acquisition hit every step on the way down both flights of stairs. He waited until he heard the click of the lock in the basement before he went to get started on supper.

Wasn’t Jesse going to love coming home to barbequed steak and mashed potatoes with gravy?

* * *

 

“Why aren’t we allowed to join the soccer team?” Jesse asked as Daddy buckled him into his booster seat.

“Because we’re six, duh,” Jeremy rolled his eyes as Papi strapped him into the booster seat beside him. “You have to be eight before they let you join.”

“That’s not fair,” Jesse huffed and crossed his arms.

“No pouting,” Daddy scolded as he tapped Jesse’s nose. “It’s the first day of school, _m’ijo_. You have to be happy.”

“But I want to play soccer, Daddy,” Jesse whined.

“No whining, _m’ijo_ ,” Papi said as he leaned on the frame of the truck. “And you can still play soccer after school with your friends.”

“But it’s not the same,” Jesse huffed before Papi reached across the truck to ruffle his hair.

He squealed and laughed, batting at Papi’s hand. His dads climbed into the front seats as soon as Papi was done being playful. Daddy was driving, so Jesse had a little bit more leg room than usual. Papi settled back in his seat, whistling a soft tune as Daddy drove them to school.

It was a very big school and Jesse hid behind Papi’s leg. He didn’t like the way everyone was looking at them and he wished that he had brought Prancer with him. But Prancer hadn’t wanted to go to school with him, promising to keep his toys safe instead. Jeremy trotted boldly ahead, grinning over his shoulder.

“Come on, chicken!” he shouted. “Classroom’s this way!”

Jesse pouted at being called a chicken, but he didn’t fall for the taunt. He walked with Papi and Daddy all the way to the classroom and shyly greeted the teacher. He was shown to his desk as Papi and Daddy introduced themselves. Daddy walked over to kiss Jesse’s forehead and told him to be a good boy and listen to the teacher.

“We’ll be here at the end of the day to pick you up,” he promised. “Love you, _m’ijo_.”

“Love you, Daddy,” Jesse smiled before his dads left.

“Your dads are so mushy,” Jeremy grimaced. “It’s gross.”

Jesse shrugged and swung his legs in his chair as the teacher waited for everyone else to file into the classroom. The teacher’s eyes snapped to him and he swallowed nervously. He didn’t like that look at all.

***

“I don’t wanna go to school tomorrow!” Jesse blurted out as soon as Papi strapped him into his booster seat.

“What?” he asked in confusion. “You were so excited this morning, _m’ijo_. What happened?”

“The teacher hates me,” he sniffled and rubbed at his eyes. “He, he kept calling on me and would make fun of me if I didn’t know the answer. Everyone was laughing, even Jeremy! I don’t want to go here anymore!”

“Oh, _mijo_ ,” Papi soothed before he kissed his cheek reassuringly. “Ssh, _mi varquerito_. It’s okay. Daddy and I will take care of this. Don’t worry.”

“You’re going to beat up the teacher?” Jesse asked hopefully.

Papi smirked and shook his head. “Nah, _m’ijo_ , I’d get in trouble for that. Besides, I’m a lot scarier when I’m not throwing punches, don’t you think?”

Jesse giggled and nodded as Papi closed the door. He called Daddy, asking him how quickly he could schedule an appointment with the teacher or the principal. Daddy didn’t sound happy when he heard why Papi wanted a meeting and there was a large helping of creamy macaroni and cheese waiting for Jesse when they got home.

Jeremy came over to ask if Jesse wanted to go play soccer around six that evening. Jesse told him to go away.

“You aren’t a good friend,” Jesse huffed. “You laughed at me!”

“It was funny,” Jeremy shrugged. “How could you not know the state capital?”

“I wasn’t born in New Mexico,” Jesse stuck his tongue out. “Go away, Jeremy.”

“You’re such a baby,” Jeremy sneered. “This is why you don’t have any friends, Jesse.”

“That’s not true!” Jesse shouted and stamped his foot. “You’re a liar!”

“No one likes you because you’re a big baby,” Jeremy said. “All you do is cry when things don’t go your way.”

“You’re lying! I never cry!” Jesse shouted.

“Jesse?” Daddy asked as he hurried over. “ _M’ijo_ , why are you shouting?”

“Jeremy said that I don’t have any friends because I’m a big baby!” Jesse sniffled.

“No I didn’t!” Jeremy lied.

Daddy gave Jeremy a flat look before he shook his head. “Jeremy, please go home. I’m sure your mother is wondering where you’ve wandered off to at this hour,” he said.

Jeremy glared at Daddy before he gave Jesse a hard shove. “You’re a freak, Jesse,” he snapped. “Who has two daddies but no mommy? It’s why you’re so weird.”

Jesse didn’t remember attacking Jeremey. He didn’t remember beating the other boy up. He didn’t remember anything but his Daddy pulling him off of Jeremy and shouting for Papi. He was shoved into Papi’s arms as Daddy gathered Jeremy up and hurried over to his house.

Papi carried Jesse inside and sat him down on the couch. His brown eyes were hard and Jesse wanted to cry as he rubbed his bloody knuckles against his face. Papi reached up and pulled his hands away, his eyes never leaving Jesse’s face.

“We do not start fights, Jesse,” he said coldly.

“He called me a freak,” Jesse hiccupped. “He said I was a freak because I had two daddies.”

Papi let out a long sigh and ran his hand through his curls. “ _M’ijo_ , you can’t beat someone up because they call you names,” he said. “You’re a lot stronger than everyone your age.”

“So I have to be bullied?” he demanded.

“No, but you can’t go beating them up,” Papi said sternly. “You’re six, Jesse.”

Jesse looked at his feet and did his best not to cry. Papi let out another sigh before kissing his forehead.

“It’s okay, _m’ijo_ ,” he murmured. “Just don’t do it again, okay? Can’t have you beating up the neighbourhood boys, can we?”

“I don’t like Jeremy anymore,” he murmured softly.

“Yah, neither do I,” Papi agreed. “Come on; let’s get you washed up.”

When Daddy returned, he grounded Jesse. He was mad and Jesse had to listen to him give an angry lecture about controlling his anger better. It was rare for Daddy to get mad like that and Jesse felt horrible. When Daddy stopped lecturing him, Jesse lifted his arms for a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Jesse whispered.

Daddy took a deep breath before hugging Jesse close. “I know, _m’ijo_ ,” he murmured. “I know.”

Jeremy wasn’t in class the next day or the day after that. When he came back, he sat as far away from Jesse as he could. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his nose was heavily bandaged. He refused to talk about why his face was all banged up and Jesse wasn’t going to brag about beating him up. But it felt good to look at the boy that was supposed to be his friend and see him regretting every word he’d said that evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New town. New people. New ways to get under Jesse's skin. So yes, one of the things that Talon experimented on was enhanced strength. Jesse's seemingly unnatural strength should even out as he gets older, but at the moment, he is an insanely strong little six-year-old.
> 
> Song is "Once Upon A Dream" from Sleeping Beauty.


	4. Chapter 4

“The hunter stalks his prey,” Jesse whispered as he watched his dads move on the floor below.

Lúcio covered his mouth to keep his giggle in as Jesse leaned out over the banister with the water balloon in his hand. His best friend’s eyes were as round as saucers. He was eager to prank Papi and Daddy, but he was scared of their wrath. Jesse reassured him that his dads couldn’t kill them no matter how scary they were. They loved the both of them; the worst they would do was ground him and send Lúcio home.

They were perfectly safe. They just had to stick to the plan. Drop the balloon then run for the backyard. If they could get outside before Papi or Daddy recovered, they could hop the fence and race for Lúcio’s house.

“Papi!” Jesse shouted as he released the water balloon.

“What _m’ijo_?” Papi asked as he looked up.

The water balloon exploded against his face and Papi shouted in alarm. Jesse cackled in glee as he and Lúcio bolted for the stairs. They had to get a running start if they wanted to make it to the backyard before Papi recovered.

“JESSE!” Papi roared. “GET BACK HERE, YOUNG MAN!”

“Run!” Jesse cackled as he sprinted for the back door.

Daddy stepped in front of the glass doors and crossed his arms over his chest. Jesse and Lúcio let out similar gasps of horror as they realized that they had been routed. How could Daddy move so fast? Lúcio hid behind Jesse, laughing nervously as a soaking wet Papi walked up behind them.

“You look funny, Papi,” Jesse laughed as he backed up towards Daddy.

“I have half a mind of holding your head under an ice-cold shower spray,” Papi warned as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“You do look good,” Daddy admitted.

Papi’s eyes darted to Daddy and he lifted an eyebrow. Jesse giggled as Papi lifted his chest proudly. The water was making his black t-shirt stick to him, letting all the hard muscles stand out. His curls were sticking to his forehead, drying rapidly and starting to stand up near the back. Daddy thought Papi looked good in anything; Jesse thought that Papi looked silly soaking wet.

“You think I look good in anything, _mi corazón_ ,” Papi teased.

“You usually do,” Daddy said before he scooped Jesse up. “Now, I believe there’s a seven-year old that needs to be punished for using a water balloon in the house.”

“But it was a prank!” Jesse whined as he was carried back into the kitchen.

“Yes, and now you have to clean the mess up,” Daddy said as he set Jesse down. “Tadpole, I’m going to call your mother about this and see what she thinks you deserve.”

“Okay,” Lúcio whispered as he curled in on himself.

Daddy got Jesse a mop and bucket and Jesse huffed as he started cleaning the mess up. Papi pulled his wet shirt off and went outside to hang it on the line. Jesse saw Daddy lick his lips as he called Lúcio’s Momma. Papi walked back inside and Daddy licked his lips again, eyes growing hooded as he spoke with Mrs. Correia dos Santos.

Lúcio Momma wanted him to come straight home and he hurried off with a brief shout to see Jesse tomorrow. Jesse waved at his friend as he put the mop and bucket away. The door had barely closed behind him when Jesse was swept off of his feet and over Papi’s shoulder. Jesse squealed and wiggled, trying to get away from the man that was growling playfully.

“So, you think it’s funny to drop water on me, huh?” Papi asked.

“Yes!” Jesse giggled. “You looked funny when the balloon hit you! I wish I had a picture!”

“Uh huh,” Papi snorted before he started tickling Jesse’s belly. “Little ingrate.”

Jesse squealed and kicked his legs, grinning as he was dropped onto the counter and his belly covered his raspberries. Daddy laughed as he watched, a fond smile on his face as Jesse kicked and wiggled for freedom.

“That’s no fair! You’re cheating!” Jesse squealed as he tried to roll over. “Daddy! Daddy, Papi’s cheating!”

“Oh, you’re right,” Daddy gasped before he walked over and started covering Papi’s face in raspberries.

“Jack!” Papi shouted in surprise before he tried to fend Daddy off. “You dirty cheater! Not the cheeks.”

Jesse giggled and hopped off of the counter. Daddy scooped him up and bolted for the backyard. Papi followed with a loud shout. Jesse gasped as they raced into the backyard and Papi grabbed the garden hose.

“Gabe, don’t you dare!” Daddy shouted as he set Jesse on the ground. “No! Gabe, don’t do it!”

“Clearing the area,” Papi teased before he turned the hose on.

Jesse squealed and bolted for cover as Daddy was hit directly in the chest by the spray. He shrieked in surprise as his white shirt clung to him and he curled into himself to escape the cold water. Papi advanced on Daddy, a nasty grin on his face.

“Gabriel, you dirty rat-bastard!” Daddy shrieked. “That’s cold!”

“That’s the idea,” he purred before he turned off the hose and tackled Daddy to the ground.

Jesse giggled from under the picnic table as Daddy and Papi wrestled. Papi covered Daddy’s face in kisses as he pinned him down in the grass, grinning wickedly as Daddy pouted and slumped to the ground.

“Gabriel, that’s cheating,” Daddy whined.

Jesse giggled more as Papi started covering Daddy’s neck and face in kisses. Daddy shivered and glared at Papi before shoving him hard. He tried to stand up, but Papi pulled him back down. Daddy growled and Papi covered his face in kisses.

Jesse slipped out from under the picnic table and crept over to the hose. He picked it up and grinned before turning it on. Papi shouted in alarm as he was sprayed with cold water. Daddy bolted for safety, laughing as Papi lifted his hand to block the stream of water.

“Jesse! Turn that off,” Papi shouted.

“Nope,” Jesse cackled as he backed up.

“Oh, now you’re getting it,” Papi laughed before he lunged forward.

Jesse squealed as he was scooped up and covered in sloppy kisses. The hose fell to the ground and spun around as the stream of water continued for another few seconds. Jesse squealed as he was sprayed and tried to hide behind Papi’s arms. Papi laughed at him before he rubbed his wet face against Jesse’s.

“Well, time for a bath,” he teased before he started rubbing and kissing Jesse’s face. “Filthy, filthy little boy.”

Jesse giggled and tried to get away, only for Daddy to join in covering his face in kisses. He was trapped between his dads being covered in cold, wet kisses and he didn’t really care.

* * *

 

Jack’s mouth closed around a dark nipple and he sucked hard. Gabriel moaned under him, arching his back as Jack kept his hands pinned beneath Gabriel’s back. His tongue rolled over the soft flesh, teasing it until it pebbled in his mouth. He groaned and squeezed his lips around the flesh, releasing one of Gabriel’s hands so that he could knead the pectoral.

“Fuck, Jack,” Gabriel moaned. “Fuck.”

“You were walking around all day without a shirt on,” Jack growled as he pulled back. “The least you could do is indulge me a little bit with those meaty pecs of yours.”

“Like yours are anything to sneeze at,” Gabriel smirked up at him before rolling his hips. “So, what are you planning, gorgeous?”

Jack scooted forward on his husband’s chest and rested his hard cock between Gabriel’s pecs. Gabriel let out a loud burst of laughter and dropped his head against the pillow. Jack tried not to be insulted that Gabriel was laughing at him.

“You are so predictable!” he howled.

“Jackass,” Jack pouted.

Gabriel grinned at him before carefully pushing his pecs together against Jack’s cock. “Says the man that just held me down for ten minutes so he could suckle like a kitten.”

“You loved it and you know it,” Jack huffed before he started moving slowly against the flesh encircling him.

Gabriel purred and leaned forward so that he could mouth over the head of Jack’s cock. Jack let out a low hiss and started rutting harder between his husband’s pecs. Gabriel smirked up at him, curling his tongue around the head of Jack’s cock.

“Come on, Boy Scout,” Gabriel purred. “Is that really the best you can do?”

“Gabriel, not now,” Jack warned.

“And why not?” Gabriel grinned. “You going to cry, Boy Scout? Can’t take me making fun of you?”

“That’s it!” Jack shouted before he moved forward and pushed his fingers into Gabriel’s hair. “Your mouth. My cock. Right now!”

Gabriel grinned viciously as he eagerly swallowed Jack’s cock, bobbing and slurping on the length as Jack braced his knees on either side of his head. Jack moaned and started thrusting, holding onto Gabriel’s hair as his husband sucked him off. He pushed deep and climaxed, shaking as Gabriel’s hands gripped his ass possessively. Gabriel’s lips squeezed hard, milking him for every last drop.

Gabriel pulled away and licked his lips, still smirking as he lounged against the headboard. “You really aren’t good at the aggressive act,” he teased.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Jack pouted as he settled back on his husband’s lap. “It wouldn’t be hard to, you know that.”

“Oh, I know, Jack,” Gabriel soothed as he trailed his knuckles down Jack’s cheek. “But that’s what safewords are for.”

“You can’t say anything if my cock’s down your throat,” Jack huffed.

Gabriel chuckled before he pulled Jack in close for a kiss. “Mmm, still taste so sweet,” he teased. “Like candy canes and chocolate.”

“That would be dessert and toothpaste, dumbass,” Jack laughed as he snuggled against Gabriel’s chest. “You haven’t seen any Overwatch agents?”

“None since we got to Santa Fe,” Gabriel frowned. “It’s…disquieting. They were everywhere in Roanoke but here? It’s like Ana lost interest.”

“Hmm,” Jack mused as he pushed his hair out of his face.

He’d let it grow out to fit his new persona. Gabriel loved it, but Jack found it more trouble than it was worth. Still, he’d keep it if it meant staying in a place where Jesse was safe and content. His teacher had backed off after Jack had spoken with him after school, demanding to know why his son was being singled out and humiliated in front of his peers. The man had no spine against someone Jack’s size and had immediately stopped harassing Jesse afterwards.

“Talon is around,” Gabriel murmured. “I see their agents from time to time, but they keep their distance. They’re planning something, _mi amor_.”

“They always are,” Jack sighed and shook his head. “Throw in the Deadlock Rebels and I’m starting to think that Santa Fe was a bad idea.”

“One stop in the road,” Gabriel reassured him. “You ready for round two?”

“Two, three, four,” Jack teased as he let his hips be lifted behind him. “Mmm, what are you planning?”

“You’ll see,” Gabriel smirked as he rolled a thick digit against Jack’s entrance.

***

“Jesse, _m’ijo_ , what are you doing?” Jack asked as he watched his son hang upside down from the couch.

“Seeing if this works,” he said as he played his video game. “Lúce said he got a high score playing like this.”

Jack smiled and shook his head. “I think Lúce was pulling your leg,” he teased. “What do you want for lunch?”

“Hot dogs,” Jesse replied.

“Ketchup?”

“Cheese-whiz,” Jesse grinned.

“Alright,” Jack laughed as he headed for the kitchen. “Grilled or boiled?”

“Grilled, please!”

Jack whistled as he went outside to start up the grill. He had the hot dogs frying when he spotted movement over the back fence. He frowned, reaching down to run his fingers over the outline of his handgun. He snapped the lid of the barbeque down just as he spotted a black figure turn their rifle towards him.

He fired twice and bolted for the door. He wrenched it open, whistled sharply for Gabriel to get his ass in gear, and darted out of the way of the next volley of shots. Reaper exploded out of the house, throwing Jack his pulse rifle and mask as he passed. The figure in black bolted for the treeline at the bottom of the gorge behind the house, but Reaper followed. There was no escaping him when he was on the hunt. He did not need rest like a normal human.

Jack hauled himself over the fence, shouting over his shoulder for Jesse to lock the doors and not to let anyone in. He slid down the embankment, firing at the figures that were circling Reaper. He pulled his mask over his face and activated his visor. He started firing, driving the figures away from Reaper so that he could move.

“Stay close,” Reaper ordered as Jack slid down beside him.

“Don’t step on me,” Jack snorted as Reaper started firing.

Jack tucked the butt of his rifle into his shoulder and started firing, using Reaper’s boot to keep himself steady. He heard Reaper snarl right before he grabbed him around the shoulders and dragged him down into shadows. They emerged a few feet away from the crater that had been made by a rocket and Jack lifted his mask as he threw up.

“I need more warning next time,” he coughed.

“Sorry,” Reaper apologized as he ran his talons through Jack’s hair. “Coming in on our left. I’m flanking.”

“Understood,” Jack nodded before he rose and started shooting again.

* * *

 

Reaper crushed the last Overwatch agent’s skull between his hands and dropped them to the ground. He looked around before misting over to the man that looked like Jack. He grabbed him by the hair and slammed him against the ground, ignoring the grunt of pain. Until he knew this was Jack, he was an enemy.

“Kinkiest sex position,” he growled.

“Nothing is off the table,” the man coughed.

“That’s cheating,” Reaper chuckled as he helped Jack back to his feet. “And sorry about that.”

Jack shook his head before punching Reaper across the face. “Now we’re even,” he said before he hurried back up the embankment to their house.

Reaper followed, landing in the backyard ahead of Jack. He snapped open the lid of the barbeque to see if lunch was ruined and snapped it back down with a satisfied snort. Jack pushed his way into the house and looked around desperately.

“Jesse!?” he shouted. “Jesse, where are you?”

Reaper landed beside his husband and tried to focus on his son’s soul. He felt a lot of empty space before he smacked Jack’s arm and headed for the basement. Jack was on his heels as he ghosted down the stairs. He walked over to the wall that hid his workspace and rapped his knuckles against the false-door. There was silence on the other side until Jack pushed him aside and gave the special knock.

Jesse tackled Jack as he pushed the wall aside. Jack sank to his knees, kissing over his son’s head as he praised him for being so smart. Reaper knelt down and reached out to push his fingers through his son’s hair, smiling behind his mask.

Jesse looked at him and smiled shyly. “Can we have lunch now?” he asked.

Reaper smiled as his form melted back into Gabriel. “Sure thing, _m’ijo_ ,” he soothed as Jack continued crying and kissing Jesse’s face. “You help Daddy calm down and I’ll go get the dogs.”

Jesse smiled after him before patting at Jack’s face and telling him that he was alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesse needs to work on his pranking skills; a water balloon in the house? Oh dear, kiddo; that's an accident waiting to happen. And you're corrupting sweet little Lucio at the same time!
> 
> Jack just can't stand it when he has to pretend he isn't aroused by his husband's body. He makes him pay later. Sort of. Because Jack has a hard time being overly aggressive with Gabriel in the bedroom. Playful he can do, but demanding and trying to be in total control? He just feels like an asshole XD


	5. Chapter 5

Jesse lifted his head off of the pillow and rubbed at his eyes. Something smelt funny and he wasn’t sure what it was. It smelt like rotten eggs but he knew that Daddy would never leave food like that in the fridge to rot. He started climbing out of bed when he felt the house shake. A furious explosion sent him sprawling on his face. He stared at the floor in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened, before he heard screaming.

He scrambled to his feet and charged down the stairs. Papi was holding Daddy in his arms, sobbing and screaming. Daddy’s skin was blistered and red, oozing blood and clear liquid all over the floor. Jesse’s brain came to a screeching halt as he watched Daddy’s chest rise and fall in stuttering gasps. He didn’t even notice the charred bodies lying on the stairs to the basement, too focused on the fact that Daddy was hurt. His brain started moving again and he scrambled for Papi’s cellphone to dial 9-1-1.

“My Daddy’s hurt!” he told the operator as soon as they answered.

“How is he hurt?” they asked. “Tell us everything you can.”

“He, his skin’s all blistered and bleeding and oozing this clear stuff,” Jesse whimpered. “There was this really weird smell in the house and then there was an explosion.”

“Okay, I need to know where you live, sweetheart,” the operator said. Jesse told them the address and wiped at his eyes. “It’s okay, sweetheart; help’s on the way. Is your Daddy breathing?”

“Uh huh,” Jesse nodded as he walked over to where his parents were.

“Can you move him? It’s not safe to stay inside if something exploded,” the operator said.

Jesse pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped Papi’s arm. “We have to leave the house,” he said. “The nice man on the phone says it’s not safe.”

Papi’s brown eyes focused on him slowly before he nodded. “Right, right,” he murmured.

He picked Daddy up and cradled him to his chest. Daddy coughed blood all over Papi’s black shirt. One of his hands fell down low enough for Jesse to grab, the tips blacked and charred. He squeezed the hand tightly, pressing the phone back to his ear to keep the operator updated on Daddy’s condition.

The ambulance rolled up about ten minutes later, sirens wailing. The paramedics hurried out and took Daddy from Papi’s arms. They asked what happened and Papi murmured that a gas line they didn’t know existed had ruptured and exploded when Daddy had tried to plug something into a wall socket. They allowed Papi and Jesse to ride in the ambulance with Daddy, working to stabilize him as they drove to the hospital.

It was scary to see so many wires stabbed into Daddy’s arm. One of the paramedics fit a mask over Daddy’s face and tipped his head back. When Jesse quietly asked why he was doing that, the paramedic told him it was to keep Daddy’s airway open so he could breathe. Papi held Daddy’s hand the whole trip, his eyes never leaving Daddy’s face. The paramedics didn’t try to move Papi as they cleaned some of the burns; they seemed to understand that Papi needed to know Daddy was there.

Papi kept Jesse close when Daddy was wheeled away into the hospital. He walked to reception to set everything up so that Daddy had a private room. The receptionist wouldn’t meet Papi’s eyes and Jesse thought that was rude. He opened his mouth to say something, but Papi shook his head.

“Not now, _m’ijo_ ,” he murmured. “Come on.”

Papi carried him into the waiting room and they sat down together in the corner. A lot of people gave them funny looks, but Jesse was too busy crying about Daddy to care. Papi held him close, crying quietly as they waited for news.

* * *

 

Gabriel looked up as a nurse approached them. “Excuse me, are you Mr. McCree?” she asked. “Your husband was brought in with severe burns?”

“That’s me,” Gabriel nodded.

“Follow me, please,” the nurse smiled.

Gabriel scooped Jesse into his arms and followed the nurse out of the waiting room. His heart was in his throat as they were led through the hospital and into the long-term recovery ward. He was scared for a very long time that Jack hadn’t survived. Those burns had been horrific and if the ambulance had been any later, he likely would have lost Jack.

“He’s on heavy antibiotics to stop infection from setting in,” the nurse said. “We cleaned him up the best that we could, but he will need extensive skin-grafting in some areas.”

“I don’t care,” Gabriel murmured. “I just want to know if he’s going to survive.”

“He has very good odds,” the nurse smiled before showing them into a room. “I’ve already arranged for you two to be brought little cots to sleep in.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel nodded as they left.

He set Jesse down on the chair beside the bed, letting him continue resting. He brushed his fingers against Jack’s cheek as he watched him breathe with the help of a mask. His whole body was covered in bandages, most of them already soiled and dirty. He knelt down to press a kiss to his husband’s forehead, not caring about the stink of antiseptic and ointment.

“Oh, _mi luna_ ,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

Jack let out a soft sigh before his eyes fluttered open. His eyebrows and eyelashes had been burned off, giving him a very unsettling look. He smiled around the facemask and reached up to gently cup Gabriel’s face.

“Wasn’t your fault,” he soothed. “Didn’t know what I was thinking when I smelt propane and pulled a gun out.”

“We all have our stupid moments,” Gabriel chuckled as he stroked over Jack’s hair. “Jesse’s here. He’s the reason you’re still alive.”

“Mmm,” Jack smiled. “Where is my brave _m’ijo_?”

Gabriel picked Jesse up and set him down on the bed. Jack ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair until he stirred. He smiled and Jesse started crying, hugging his chest tightly. Tears trickled down Jack’s face as he held his son close to him.

“Ssh, Daddy’s not that scary looking, is he?” Jack teased. “I look like a mummy.”

Jesse giggled a little and rubbed at his eyes. “I was really scared,” he whispered. “They took so long.”

“I know, _m’ijo_ ,” Jack ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair. “But I’m okay. I’m a tough old man.”

Jesse nodded in agreement and snuggled against Jack’s chest. Jack hummed and ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair, quickly falling asleep again. A nurse brought in a cot for Gabriel, smiling at the sight of Jack and Jesse snuggled on the bed. Gabriel thanked them and helped set it up. They left and Gabriel sat down to watch his husband and son sleep.

* * *

 

Jack looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps. “Hello, Reinhardt,” he greeted as the massive man stepped sideways through the door.

Reinhardt watched him for a moment before he settled himself into the chair beside the bed. He pressed his massive hands together and rubbed them slowly. He looked ready to say something but changed his mind. He shook his head and sighed.

“You are in danger every day that you are outside of Overwatch’s protection,” he murmured softly.

“Oh, is Overwatch claiming responsibility for trying to blow me up?” Jack asked.

“ _Nein_ ,” Reinhardt smirked. “But Blackwatch is.”

Jack nodded his head slowly before he closed his eyes. Blackwatch, the covert ops division of Overwatch. They were responsible for a lot of assassinations and kidnappings of high-ranking officials, as well as removing dangerous terrorist organizations. It made sense that they would try to eliminate two very dangerous rogue agents.

“Overwatch and the UN can’t be trusted, Reinhardt,” he said. “I will not be a puppet on strings for them.”

“We do what we must to protect those that we care about,” Reinhardt said as he glanced around the room. “Ana does not know that I am here. She has issues of her own to deal with now. I still consider you and Gabriel my friends, Jack. I will not turn my back on you.”

“Thank you, Reinhardt,” Jack sighed. “But I do not know how much good that will do us when you are working with Overwatch.”

Reinhardt smiled sadly and held out his hand. “I lead Blackwatch.”

Jack looked at Reinhardt carefully before he tossed his head back and started laughing. Reinhardt joined in as fat tears rolled down his face and he braced his arms on his knees. Oh, how sad for Reinhardt; the man had more heart than any of them and he was forced to run an organization like Blackwatch.

“You need to teach your men to hide better,” Jack teased. “I see them every time they try to attack.”

“Ah, yes,” Reinhardt shook his head. “All so eager to drag in the rogue agents. They try to do it behind my back and I allow it because I know you will eliminate them for me.”

“And the explosion?”

“I have dealt with those responsible and made it clear that you are to be left alone so long as you do not threaten the populace,” Reinhardt sighed. “I do not know why Ana gave me this job, Jack. I am not interested in the dark secrets of the world. I wish for glorious combat, not this sneaking around in the shadows business.”

“Who better to keep everyone in line but the great Crusader, Reinhardt Wilhelm?” Jack asked with a sad smile. “I appreciate you keeping the agents off of our back. There’s no reason for Overwatch to come after us.”

“Oh, there’s a few,” Reinhardt smiled at him. “Vigilantism is illegal, my friend. As is kidnapping people and torturing them.”

Jack shrugged a shoulder. “Fair enough.”

“Ah, but I understand,” Reinhardt shook his head. “You are working to defeat Talon. As am I. I will help wherever I can, Jack. I owe you and Gabriel everything.” He glanced at the picture tacked to the wall and smiled. “And I will not allow your child to be harmed.”

“Does Ana know?” Jack asked as he made a gesture towards the picture.

“ _Nein_ ,” Reinhardt shook his head. “She has other things to worry about now that the UN has demanded her attention. She is a good leader, but this job will kill her. As it will kill me.”

“Good luck, Reinhardt,” Jack said as he reached out to squeeze his old friend’s hand. “You have my full confidence.”

Reinhardt smiled before he got to his feet. “Rest and get better, Jack; your family needs you,” he said before he turned and left.

Jack let out a long sigh before he looked at the picture. Jesse had drawn it for him while they were waiting for a doctor to come talk about treatment. It was a simple drawing of him, Jesse, and Gabriel holding hands in front of a large house. Jack was wrapped in bandages and Gabriel was dressed all in black and had hearts flying out of his head. Jesse had his cowboy hat on with a sign that said “Get Better Soon, Daddy”.

He reached out to touch the picture before settling down to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, a deviation for once. Usually it's Gabe that I do lots of damage to. Now it's Jack! Isn't that great? What's a little well-done cooking to a guy like Jack, right?
> 
> Don't worry; he'll be fine. SEP gave them amazing healing capabilities. And come on; canon Jack survived Zurich going supernova and only has two little scars to show for it. He'll be fine~


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel frowned as he leaned on the arms of the chair. “I’m not going to ask again,” he growled. “Where is Deadlock moving those guns?”

The punk spat a mouthful of blood into Gabriel’s face and grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he sneered.

Gabriel wiped the blood off of his face and rubbed the slick liquid between his fingers. “Not a wise move,” he said before he grabbed the punk by the hair and wrenched his head back. “You are trying my limited patience.”

“Yah, yah, you vigilantes are all the same,” the punk laughed. “You talk a good smack, but when it comes down to it, you don’t wanna hurt the cute little kid that lost his way.”

The punk laughed as Gabriel leaned in close and brushed his lips against his cheek. He went still, eyes widening as Gabriel slowly kissed up towards his ear. One thing he’d learned over the years was that these criminals freaked out if they were given even the smallest bit of homosexual attention. It was hilarious and Gabriel loved exploiting it on those that pissed him off.

“Oh, _mi amigo_ , you have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Gabriel chuckled. “Punks like you favour your looks. What will happen when those are gone?”

He paused as someone knocked on the door and smirked. He flashed one finger to the punk before going to push the wall aside. He leaned on the doorframe, smiling at his husband as Jack set his hands on his hips. The burn scars on his face were finally starting to fade, but they were still raised and painful. All those enhanced chemicals they’d been filled with in SEP had done wonders for their healing. His eyebrows and eyelashes had grown back white and the shock of hair just over his forehead was bone white as well. It made him look older and wiser and Gabriel loved it.

“How can I help you, gorgeous?” Gabriel licked his lips.

“Jesse’s soccer game starts in a half-hour,” Jack said. “Are you coming to watch?”

“Of course!” Gabriel laughed before he blew a kiss over his shoulder. “We’ll continue this later, punk.”

He slid the door closed behind him and kissed Jack’s scarred lips. Jack sighed against his mouth, reaching up to play with his short, springy locks. His blue eyes softened before he kissed along Gabriel’s jaw.

“You look good with short curls,” he said.

“I try,” Gabriel smiled as he ran his hand through his hair. “Let me go get changed and we’ll get going.”

Jesse was already on the field when they arrived. They settled down beside the other parents on their street, cheering the boys on as they charged down the field. A few gave them dirty looks; how dare they be gay and be seen in public; but most smiled warmly at them. They were all there to support their kids after all.

Jesse took a nasty spill and everyone shouted in surprise. He bounced back to his feet and shook himself off, making a show of spitting out dirt. Jack relaxed against Gabriel, looping their fingers together as Jesse started running again.

Jesse’s team ended up losing, but they seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Lúcio was covered in scrapes and bruises, laughing as his mother cleaned his face. Jesse eagerly threw himself into Gabriel’s arms, laughing as he grinned up at him. Not even losing the championship game could kill his joy.

“Did you see my fall, Papi?” he asked.

“I did; I was worried,” Gabriel kissed his cheek. “But you’re such a tough little boy.”

Jesse grinned and hugged Gabriel’s neck. They walked back to the truck with Jesse babbling about how good they did even though they lost. Jack smiled the whole way, reaching out to stroke over Jesse’s knee as he swung his cleats against Gabriel’s chest.

“Papi, who’s that by the truck?” Jesse asked nervously.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the massive man leaning against his truck. “Jesse, stay quiet,” he said. “Not a word, got it?”

“Yes, Papi,” Jesse murmured as Jack walked forward.

“Hello, Reinhardt; what brings you back to Santa Fe?” Jack asked as he spread his arms out for a hug.

“Business, I am afraid,” Reinhardt sighed as he returned the hug. “Ah, and this must be your little boy! He is growing up to be a very big lad.”

Gabriel set Jesse down and patted him towards the truck. Jesse climbed in without a word, taking Gabriel’s key to start the truck so he wasn’t roasting inside. Gabriel waited until the truck started before he glared at Reinhardt.

“What sort of business, Wilhelm?” he growled.

Reinhardt shook his head. “Nothing good, I can tell you that,” he said. “I do not know if it is Talon or Deadlock, but I know that it is not safe here. You need to lie low until this blows over.”

“And why would we do that?” Gabriel growled. “Are they after us?”

“I cannot say for sure, but I have every reason to believe that they are,” Reinhardt said. “Please, I do not wish to hear of your death, nor hear my coworkers cheer your passing.”

Gabriel and Jack glanced at each other and nodded carefully. They would lie low and play it carefully, but there was no guarantee that it would do them any good. They’d be on the lookout.

“Thank you, Reinhardt,” Jack nodded. “We owe you.”

“It is what friends do, Jack,” Reinhardt smiled. “Stay safe.”

Reinhardt bowed his head and walked away, pulling a cellphone out of his pocket to talk. Gabriel hauled himself into the driver’s seat and rubbed at his eyes. He didn’t like that Reinhardt was in town with his Blackwatch unit. It was not a good sign.

“It’s going to be okay, Gabriel,” Jack reached out to rub his arm. “We just have to be careful.”

“Yah,” Gabriel smiled as he took Jack’s hand and kissed it.

* * *

 

“Jesse, what shirt do you want?” Jack asked as he held out two shirts for him to try on.

“Red,” Jesse grinned as he grabbed the red shirt.

“Okay,” Jack smiled as he put the other shirt back. “Come on; Papi’s getting you lunch.”

Jesse giggled and hurried into the change room. Jack followed to make sure the shirt fit him properly, smiling as his son stood proudly in front of the mirror. He puffed his chest out, letting the lightning bolt stand out.

“I’m The Flash!” he said proudly. “Fastest man in the world!”

“You are very fast,” Jack agreed as he kissed over Jesse’s face. “At least it fits. You’re growing like a bad weed, _m’ijo_.”

“I’m going to be taller than Papi,” Jesse grinned as he pulled his flannel shirt back on. “Then I can carry him around!”

“I’m sure he’d love that,” Jack chuckled as he carried the shirt up to the front counter to pay for it.

They left the store and headed towards the food court, Jesse’s hand held tightly in Jack’s. There was a sense of foreboding in the air, one that Jack didn’t like. He wasn’t sure what it was; it could range from a bad lightning storm to a bomb going off; but he didn’t like it.

Gabriel was waiting at a table for them, poking at the plate of rice in front of him. Jesse threw his arms around Gabriel’s neck and kissed his cheek, grinning widely as Gabriel turned to nuzzle him.

“Did you find some shirts, _m’ijo_?” he asked.

“Yes!” he smiled as he climbed onto his seat. “I look good in red.”

“You do,” Gabriel agreed as Jack sat down.

Gabriel took Jack’s hand and kissed over his knuckles, smiling at him as they started eating. Jesse eagerly stuffed the Americanized Chinese food into his mouth, letting his parents talk quietly amongst themselves. Gabriel shook his head, huffing before he stopped and lifted his head.

Jack heard it to. The sound of running feet. They looked at each other and Jack nodded as he got to his feet. Things were kicking off.

“Jesse, we have to leave,” he said sternly.

“What’s wrong?” Jesse asked as he stuffed another chicken ball in his mouth and hopped off his chair.

“Something very bad,” Jack said as he kissed Jesse’s cheek and picked him up. “Come on.”

He started towards one of the exits when a man with a familiar uniform stepped through it and pointed his gun at him. “Back up,” he ordered.

Jack backed up as instructed, holding his son close to his chest. He tucked Jesse’s head into his neck and narrowed his eyes as more Talon agents began piling into the food court. Someone was shouting instructions while the other mall-goers screamed and did as they were told. Jack scanned the crowd for Gabriel, holding Jesse close, as he tried to find a way to slip away without being noticed.

He heard a shotgun go off and looked up as Reaper leaned his hip against the railing on the second story above the food court. He tilted his head to the side, the bone white mask glaring down at the Talon agents. Jack dropped to the ground as guns started firing on Reaper.

“Move!” Jack shouted.

He saw more people in black and twisted to protect Jesse as they started firing on the Talon agents. He grit his teeth and bolted up the stairs. He moved out of the way as people went charging past with screams of terror, threatening to flatten anyone that got underfoot. Jesse whimpered against his chest before Jack set him down and kissed his forehead.

“You okay, _m’ijo_?” he asked.

Jesse nodded. “I’m okay,” he murmured. “But I’m scared.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” he soothed as he hugged him close.

“Sir!” one of the black-clad agents shouted as he hurried over. “You have to leave, now!”

“We’re going,” Jack said. “Just didn’t want to be trampled.”

The man nodded and turned away, crying out in shock as Reaper landed in front of him. Reaper growled and jerked his head towards the line of agents firing on the Talon agents.

“Get back to you position,” he snapped.

The man scrambled away and Reaper shook his head. He turned back to Jack and pressed his warm palm against his cheek.

“You and Jesse get out of here,” he instructed. “I’ll catch up as soon as I can. I’m not leaving without information, however long that takes.”

Jack rested his hand over Reaper’s and held it close. He took a deep breath and shook his head slowly.

“Come back to me,” he ordered. “Don’t leave me alone in this world.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Reaper said as his mask misted away.

They kissed deeply, Reaper’s claws digging into the material of Jack’s shirt. Reaper cupped the back of his head as they pulled away, nuzzling him gently. He knelt down and hugged Jesse close to him.

“You listen to your Daddy,” he said sternly. “No matter what, you understand?”

“Yes, Papi,” Jesse whimpered. “You’re coming too?”

“Not yet,” Reaper said as his mask misted back into place. “Soon. Get going. Both of you.”

Jack took Jesse’s hand and ran his knuckles down Reaper’s mask. Reaper bowed his head before he turned and pulled his shotguns out. Jack and Jesse hurried away as the gunshots started ringing out. Jack helped Jesse into the truck and headed for home before the police arrived.

Gabriel wasn’t home that night. Jack stayed up as long as he could, hoping that Gabriel would walk through the door hissing and spitting. He wasn’t home the next night or the night after that. Jack did his best not to let his worry show, comforting Jesse whenever his son showed signs of stress.

By the end of the week, Jack felt his hope slipping away. He tucked Jesse into bed and sang him to sleep. When he was certain that he was fast asleep, he went and got changed into his blood-stained clothing. He headed down into the basement and stood staring at the Deadlock Rebel that was strapped to the chair. Jack’s hand settled on the handle of a hammer and lifted it off the bench.

“Come to intimidate me, pumpkin?” the rebel grinned at him.

Jack hefted the hammer and tapped the head against his palm. “I came to relieve some stress,” he said before he smashed the hammer into the side of the rebel’s jaw. “You are useless to us and I see no reason to keep you alive.”

* * *

 

Jesse sat at the dinner table swinging his legs. He glanced at Daddy before looking back down at his plate of spaghetti. Daddy was barely eating, his eyes on his food. His hair looked stringy and gross; Jesse couldn’t remember ever seeing his Daddy not take pride in his appearance and try to look his best. When was the last time he’d taken a shower? When was the last time he’d shaved without cutting his face?

He knew why Daddy was acting so weird. It had been two months since Papi had told them to head home ahead of him. Daddy was trying to pretend that Papi would show up any day now, but Jesse knew better. He knew his Papi wasn’t coming home and that, somehow, he was gone.

He poked at his supper before looking at Daddy. “Papi’s not coming home, is he?” he asked softly.

Daddy’s eyes closed and tears fell rapidly down his face. “No, _m’ijo_ ,” he whispered. “I don’t think he is.”

“I’m sorry,” Jesse rubbed at his eyes.

“Oh, Jesse, it’s not your fault,” Daddy soothed as he reached out to run his fingers through his hair. “Daddy just…Daddy just hasn’t wanted to accept it.”

“Are we going to leave again?” Jesse asked.

“It…It is for the best,” Daddy let out a long sigh. “We’ll leave tomorrow, okay?”

Jesse nodded and pushed his supper away. “I’m going to say goodbye to Lúcio,” he said.

“Don’t be long, okay?” Daddy nodded and swallowed.

Jesse hopped off of his chair and hurried to get his shoes on. He trotted down the street to Lúcio’s house and knocked on the door. His Momma let him in, smiling sadly as she asked how his Daddy was doing. Jesse lied and said that he was okay. He didn’t want to talk about it with her; she wouldn’t understand what Daddy was going through. He hurried to Lúcio’s room and closed the door.

“Hey,” he smiled.

“You’re here kind of late,” Lúcio tilted his head to the side and frowned. “Something wrong?”

“We’re moving,” Jesse said as he sat down. “Daddy made the decision tonight. I came to say bye.”

“What?” Lúcio demanded as he stared at Jesse. “No! No we promised we were going to be friends forever! You can’t just leave, Jesse!”

“I’m going to tell you something very secret,” Jesse said and lifted his chin. “You can’t tell anyone ever, understood?”

“No one? Ever?” Lúcio blinked.

“Never ever,” Jesse nodded.

Lúcio bit his lip and nodded. “Okay,” he said.

“My daddies are very dangerous men,” Jesse said. “Their names are Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison. My name isn’t Jesse McCree; that’s just the last name we used when we moved to Santa Fe. My real name is Jesse Reyes-Morrison. We’re leaving because my Papi hasn’t been home for two months. It isn’t safe here for us anymore.”

Lúcio blinked at him before he grinned. “That’s funny, Jesse,” he said. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

Jesse grinned. “Aw, I had you for a few minutes,” he teased.

He hadn’t expected Lúcio to believe him and that was why he’d told him the truth. Lúcio would be sad for a little while, but he’d make friends really fast and be fine. He was a strong kid and everyone liked him. He’d forget Jesse soon enough.

“But we still have to leave,” Jesse sighed. “Daddy can’t stay in the house without Papi.”

Lúcio bowed his head. “Okay,” he sighed. “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow,” Jesse shook his head. “Daddy wants to be gone as soon as he can.”

Lúcio closed his eyes before he hugged Jesse tightly and snuggled close. “I’m going to miss you,” he whispered.

Jesse returned the hug just as tightly. “Going to miss you too,” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun~
> 
> And now the pain has started. This is what happens when you give me plot bunnies, people. The cuteness can only last so long before I step forward and plunge the knife into your belly and twist~


	7. Chapter 7

“Wait here,” Daddy instructed outside the gas station. “I will be five minutes, okay?”

Jesse nodded and sat down, holding Prancer against his chest. He took a deep breath as Daddy headed inside the gas station and left him outside to draw the local gangsters in. He wasn’t in any danger, but it was still really scary. He hummed a little as he played with Prancer, tucking his long legs under himself so that he looked smaller and younger. This was the hard part; he was so tall now that he didn’t look like a ten-year-old.

“Hey kiddo,” someone grinned as they walked over. “That’s a pretty cute pony you got there.”

“Thanks,” Jesse smiled up at the man. “My Papi made him for me when I was little.”

“Not too shabby,” the man grinned as he crouched down. “You know, I know a person that could make his saddle all fresh and new again,” he said.

Wait, that actually worked on kids? Didn’t their parents tell them not to trust strangers? Or at least not to just walk off with them? Ooh, boy was Daddy going to have fun with him.

“Really?” Jesse asked, doing his best to make his eyes nice and big. “That’s so cool! Can we go see them now?”

“Sure thing,” the man grinned as he stood up. “Come on, kiddo.”

Jesse took the hand and smiled as he stood up. The man blinked at him in surprise at the strength behind Jesse’s grip before Jesse drove his elbow into his stomach. The man stumbled back with a cough as Daddy stepped out of the store and walked calmly over to the man. He smiled, patting Jesse’s head in approval, before driving a taser into the man’s chest.

“Come on, Jesse,” Daddy instructed as he pulled the man’s arm across his shoulder.

“Yes, Daddy,” Jesse smiled as he trotted after him. “Did I do a good job?”

“You did,” Daddy smiled as he dumped the man in the backseat of the truck. “We’ll get ice cream when we’ve got him secure, okay?”

“Yah!” Jesse grinned as he climbed into the front seat and buckled himself in. “I think Prancer should retire. He doesn’t like coming with me anymore.”

“If that is what the both of you want,” Daddy smiled as he pulled back onto the road. “He can keep our things safe in the safehouse.”

“Ugh,” the man in the back groaned.

Jesse calmly picked up Daddy’s taser and leaned into the backseat to shock their acquisition. The man convulsed and screamed, but Daddy didn’t react to it. He patted Jesse’s head in approval as he drove to the house they were staying in. Daddy pulled into the underground parking garage and hauled the man into the house.

Jesse went upstairs to get changed into a different set of clothing, setting his treasured hat on his head. He made finger guns at himself in the mirror before proudly holstering his “guns”. He squinted at his reflection, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Reach for the sky,” he told his reflection before he pretended to draw his gun quickly.

“Works better with a real gun,” Daddy teased as he watched from the doorway. “I have to find you a nice toy one that won’t get you in trouble with the police. Never hurts to start practicing, especially in this family.”

Jesse smiled before trotting over to Daddy and hugging him. Daddy returned the hug and led the way down to the truck. They ordered a big sundae to share and sat down at one of the tables outside the ice cream shop to enjoy it. The workers didn’t give them a second look as they cleaned the other tables; having a father and son show up late at night for ice cream was not out of the ordinary for them.

Jesse popped a spoonful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth before he looked around. He and Daddy liked to people watch, coming up with stories for everyone that they took an interest in. He spotted a nice lady walking by with her phone pressed to her ear.

“Her,” Jesse pointed with his chin.

“Sheila Evenson,” Daddy said as he chased a chunk of pineapple around the dish. “Works at the local branch of the Bank of America. Working her way up to Chief of Security. Likes cherries on the top of her lattés. Two cats at home named Charlie and Max.”

Jesse giggled and nodded his head in approval. He took a sip of the water Daddy bought and looked around for another person. He tilted his head to the side as he watched an old man hobble down the street.

“Was Papi good at this game?” he asked softly.

“Papi was the very best,” Daddy smiled as he popped a strawberry into his mouth. “He told believable stories about people. Even had me convinced a few times.”

“I miss him,” Jesse whispered.

“I do too, _m’ijo_ ,” Daddy sighed. “But I have you.” He reached across the table and cupped Jesse’s cheek. “That’s all I need right now.”

Jesse smiled before he nodded towards he old man. “Scotty MacBane,” he said. “Is really, really rich. He just likes to dress scruffy because people leave him alone. Doesn’t like cats at all. Would buy an animal shelter if he could, but he’s worried about all the laws in place.”

“Hmm,” Daddy smiled before he tapped his spoon against Jesse’s nose. “You’re getting better at this, Jesse.”

Jesse beamed and puffed his chest out. When they finished their sundae, they drove back to the safehouse. Jesse fell asleep on the drive there and woke up as Daddy was tucking him into bed.

“Sweet dreams, _vaquerito_ ,” Daddy cooed as he kissed Jesse’s forehead.

“Love you,” Jesse smiled before he curled up.

“Love you too, Jesse,” Daddy said as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

 

Jack rubbed his mouth as he listened to the tearful confession he had wrung out of the thug play on his recorder. Most of it was useless drivel, but here and there he found useful information. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to get the information he needed to shut down whatever operation Talon was trying to get their fingers into.

He scribbled down a few lines of information before glancing at the body in the bed of the truck behind him. He’d left Jesse a note with instructions to do his lessons until he got back, promising to bring him some take-out for lunch since the safehouse’s stove didn’t work. He didn’t like including his son in his kidnappings, but there were few things more tempting to criminals than small children.

He let out a long sigh before slipping his gloves on and putting the recorder and notepad off to the side. He grabbed the bottom of the tarp the corpse was wrapped in and dragged the body towards him. He threw the corpse over his shoulder and carried it down the embankment to the stream. He waded out into the stream before giving the body a toss. He watched it get carried off by the current before he turned and returned to the truck. He made his last few notes before putting the tailgate up and climbing into the driver’s seat.

His heart felt like a block of ice in his chest as he drove. Gabriel had loved this truck; he’d been so proud of himself when he pulled up in it for the first time when Jack was getting baby formula for Jesse. He’d showed Jack every little detail he’d put into it, from fully adjustable seats to customizable heating and cooling system for every passenger and the personalized baby-seat right behind the driver’s seat. He swallowed and pulled over as the memories threatened to overwhelm him. He ran his hand out over the dash, blinking back tears as he did his best to keep Gabriel’s memory at bay. He wasn’t in a safe place to have a breakdown. He had to get lunch for his son and then help him with school until supper. Then he’d go and stop that weapon deal from going through.

He managed to hold himself together and swallowed his pain. He pulled back onto the road and drove the rest of the way into Carson City, Nevada. He found a decent take-out place for lunch and returned to the safehouse. Jesse was playing one of the educational videogames on Jack’s laptop, tongue between his teeth as he tapped frantically on the screen.

“Since when did spelling get so intense?” Jesse demanded as Jack set lunch out for them.

“Since kids got smarter,” he smiled. “Almost done?”

“Yes,” Jesse nodded as he closed out of the program. “Ooh, Thai!”

“I know it’s nothing home-cooked,” Jack sighed as he pushed Jesse’s meal towards him.

“It’s okay, Daddy,” Jesse smiled at him. “I get it.”

Jack reached across the table to ruffle his son’s hair. His hair was so shaggy, but Jack didn’t want to cut it; it made him look so young and carefree. He wished he could have given Jesse a chance to remain a child, but there was nothing to do about it but to push on. This wasn’t an easy life they were forced to take up, but there was only so much one rogue agent could do while their partner was gone.

They ate and talked about Jesse’s lessons, Jack scribbling down a list of tweaks he had to make to meet Jesse’s needs. His brain was developing faster than most children his age and he was well above his grade average in almost every subject. It was impressive and terrifying; Jack wasn’t sure some days how he was going to keep Jesse interested long enough to complete his high school curriculum.

Jesse helped clean lunch up before he got out his math textbook and Jack helped teach him the lesson for the day. Jesse likely understood everything better than Jack did, but he didn’t say anything as he started doing the homework portion. Jack stayed long enough to make sure that Jesse wasn’t struggling with anything before he headed upstairs to get his equipment ready.

He was back downstairs around five to take Jesse out for supper at a small diner. The waitress absolutely adored Jesse’s cowboy hat and boots, claiming that he was the cutest cowboy she’d ever seen. Jesse grinned widely and wiggled in his seat, shyly thanking her as she took their order. Jack smiled at his son as he scribbled on the paper provided to him to keep himself occupied.

Jack made sure to pocket every drawing that Jesse finished before their supper arrived. The waitress smiled as Jesse immediately tucked into his hamburger and fries. She shot Jack a curious look and tilted her head.

“You in for the rodeo?” she asked.

Jesse lifted his head and grinned. “There’s a rodeo?” he asked. “Can we go, Daddy?”

Jack shot the waitress an amused look before he shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know, Jesse, do you think it would be worth our time?”

“Yes!” Jesse bounced in his seat. “Will there be ponies for us to ride?”

“Oh, probably,” the waitress smiled. “Here, let me get you a pamphlet so you can make your decision.”

The waitress turned and walked away and Jesse’s grin immediately vanished. He glared after the woman before he munched on a fry.

“She has the Overwatch symbol tattooed on her collarbone,” he said quietly.

Jack smiled and nodded. “Good, you noticed it,” he said. “I don’t think she knows who we are though. So be nice, Jesse.”

Jesse nodded and munched on another fry. The woman returned with the pamphlet for the rodeo and Jack smoothed it out to have a look. He hmmed and haaed about it until Jesse was squirming in his seat with excitement.

“I guess we could go to this,” he mused. “But you have to promise to hold my hand the whole time no matter how embarrassing I am.”

Jesse nodded his head happily. “Understood!”

Jack smiled and thanked the waitress for pointing them towards the rodeo. She told them that it was nothing and hurried off to wait another table. They finished their meal and brought the pamphlet with them. Jack scanned it onto his tablet before throwing it out in the next garbage can he found. He was not leading Overwatch to his safehouse.

Jack got Jesse to bed around nine and when he was certain his angel was fast asleep, he got his gear on. He left out the back door, locking everything behind him. It didn’t take much effort to get to the rooftops, even with his heavy pulse rifle swinging from his back, and he crouched down. He pressed his fingers to his mouth and whistled, eyes on the street below.

His hounds responded immediately, charging out of whatever hole they had curled up in for the day. They climbed to his position, wagging their tails happily in greeting. He stroked a gloved hand over their heads, smiling behind his mask.

“Yes, I missed you too, my babies,” he crooned. “Are you ready to hunt?”

His lead hound growled, mechanical tail wagging in delight. Jack chuckled as he got to his feet.

“Hunt,” he ordered.

The five hounds darted off ahead of him, leading the way to the weapon drop. Jack kept pace easily, darting behind the slowest hound and using them as a gauge on how uneven the footing was. They never let him down.

They circled a rooftop, growling loudly. Jack knelt down on the edge and activated his visor, lighting the gangsters and Talon agents up like Christmas lights. He tapped his rifle against his hip before he reached for one of his hounds. They pushed under his hand, wagging their tail as they waited for orders.

“Encircle and ensnare,” he ordered.

The hounds twisted and jumped down from the building. They circled the abandoned parking lot, their heat signatures showing up on Jack’s visor. Jack lifted his rifle to his shoulder and waited. One of the Talon agents moved forward and he gave the signal.

The hounds charged forward and tackled the agents to the ground. The gangsters scattered, screaming in fear. He let them go; they weren’t the real threat here. Jack climbed down from the building and made his way over to the discarded weapons as his hounds tore through the Talon agents. He dropped a beacon into the weapon cache, letting the cops deal with it how they pleased. Ordinance like that was worth a pretty penny and would fill out any wanna-be military station’s armory nicely.

The hounds howled as they circled the last agent, snapping their jaws at them. The agent was sobbing and holding their head, curling up to avoid getting attacked. Not that it would do them any good if Jack told his hounds to tear him apart. Jack walked over and knocked the agent onto their back with the toe of his boot. The hounds circled them, snarling as Jack set his gun on his shoulder.

“Now, what should I do with the sole survivor?” Jack asked.

“Please, please, I’m just a grunt,” the man whimpered and lifted his hands. “I’m just a grunt! I do as I’m told!”

“Ah, is that your argument?” he asked. “Very poor form. What makes you think an old soldier is going to accept that pitiful excuse?” He glanced at his hounds and snapped his fingers. “Kill.”

He stepped back and turned away as his hounds tore the agent to pieces, silencing his screams immediately. Jack looked at the sky and let out a long sigh of misery. Gabriel would have loved all the souls available to him. All the evidence of their involvement would have been wiped away without fear of being implicated. Nothing but ash in the wind.

“Oh Gabe,” he whispered as he sank against a wall.

He slid down to the ground and pulled his mask off. He ground the heel of his palm against his eyes as he let out a broken sob. His hounds circled him, whimpering softly before the lead hound licked at his cheek. He hugged the hound close, sobbing into its black plating. The others pressed in, licking over his face and snuggling to make him feel better. The ice in his heart clenched tighter and he let out a soft wail.

He wanted his Gabriel back. He wanted to go home and be swept off his feet. He wanted to have wild sex all night and then get up to have breakfast in the morning with his family. He wanted to watch Gabriel lift Jesse over his head like it was nothing and use him as a barbell while their son squealed in delight.

“Gabe,” he whimpered. “Why’d you have to go?”

He sat on the ground for a while staring off into the distance. His hounds laid quietly around him, their mechanical faces shifting up towards him on occasion. Once he could think clearly again, he stood up and wiped his eyes dry. He ordered the hounds back to the safehouse ahead of him. They would hide in the back of the truck under the tarpaulin until he needed them again. He entered the safehouse through the back and went to check on Jesse.

Predictably, Jesse was curled up on Jack’s bed with his face buried in the pillow. Jack stripped out of his gear and pulled on his pajamas. He kissed Jesse’s forehead and climbed into bed beside him. Jesse tucked his face into Jack’s chest and let out a soft whimper.

“You were gone for a long time,” Jesse murmured.

“Sorry, _m’ijo_ ,” Jack apologized as he rubbed between Jesse’s shoulders. “I didn’t mean to worry you. You still want to go to that rodeo tomorrow?”

“Please,” Jesse smiled against his chest. “It’ll be fun!”

“I think it will be,” he kissed his son’s head. “Get some sleep. You’ll want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed to enjoy the rodeo.”

Jesse snuggled closer and fell back to sleep. Jack ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair before hugging his son close. Some of the ice melted as it always did around Jesse, but just enough to let him smile and laugh with his son. As soon as Jesse was asleep and Jack was alone, the ice would creep back in.

Oh Gabriel, why did you have to leave them?  

* * *

  

Jesse stared at the sign in front of him before pulling excitedly on Daddy’s arm. “Please, please, please!” he squealed, pointing at the sign and the corral beyond.

Daddy read the sign before he smiled. “Of course, _m’ijo_ ,” he said as he took Jesse’s hand. “Ready to ride your first horse?”

“Yes!” Jesse squealed in delight.

He almost dragged his father up to the corral, waiting eagerly for an attendant to spot them. His first real horse-ride! This was going to be amazing! He didn’t care if they put him on the ugliest horse he’d ever seen in his life; he just wanted to be up on its back and riding in the saddle. The attendant walked over after a few minutes and smiled, pushing her hat back to get a good look at him.

“Well howdy,” she said. “You two lookin’ to sign up for the trail ride?”

“Yes!” Jesse bounced with excitement.

“We don’t have a lot of riding experience,” Daddy said as he placed a hand on the back of Jesse’s neck to keep him from getting too far away with his bouncing.

“No problem, pardner,” the woman laughed. “Come on; we’ll get the two of you up on Sundance and Blossom; they’re nice horses. Won’t even fight you.”

Jesse excitedly followed the woman as Daddy paid for the trail ride. Sundance was a beautiful strawberry roan with soft eyes and a white star on his forehead. He greeted Jesse with a soft exhale of air and shook his head. The attendant helped boost him into Sundance’s saddle and he grinned down at Daddy as he sat up proudly.

“Daddy! I’m on a horse!” he squealed.

Daddy lifted his phone and took a few pictures, crooning softly. “That’s the biggest smile I’ve seen on you in a long time,” he teased before he hoisted himself into Blossom’s saddle.

Jesse smiled as he led Sundance over to the attendant that was waiting with a small group of people. Daddy followed close behind, guiding Blossom with a surprisingly gentle hand. They started down the trail and Jesse kept to the back so he could watch the terrain roll by.

He’d never felt so tall in his life. Sundance walked at a nice slow pace, his head lowered a little bit so that Jesse could see. Daddy and Blossom walked at Sundance’s heels. Daddy was taking lots of pictures, smiling and waving at Jesse every time he looked back.

“Daddy, look,” Jesse whispered as he pointed across the rolling hills. “That’s a coyote!”

“It is,” Daddy agreed. “Wonder where it’s family is.”

Jesse nodded in agreement as he watched the skinny predator trot along. It vanished down the rise of the hill and Jesse glanced up at the head of the line. A lot of the other riders were taking pictures of the landscape and pointing at different things that they saw. Jesse pointed out a circling vulture to Daddy, smiling as Daddy leaned forward for a better look.

They followed a path cut into the grounds around the rodeo, heading up into the wilds of Nevada to really appreciate the landscape. Jesse babbled excitedly the whole time, bouncing a little in the saddle until Daddy told him to stop; it was likely hurting Sundance. Daddy took lots of pictures, smiling each time Jesse grinned excitedly at him.

They returned to the corral about an hour later. Jesse was given a few slices of apple to feed to Sundance and shown how to keep his hand flat so he didn’t get his fingers bitten by mistake. The attendant said that horses’ eyes were so far away from their nose that they didn’t know the difference between fingers and carrots. Daddy scratched over Blossom’s ears as he fed her apple slices, humming softly as she shook her mane.

“That was the best day ever!” Jesse shouted as they walked away from the corral. “I was on a horse, Daddy! Just like a real cowboy!”

“And you did such a good job staying in the saddle,” Daddy smiled as he hugged Jesse close. “I’m so proud of you, Jesse.”

“Can we got get some cotton candy?” Jesse asked.

“Of course,” Daddy said.

* * *

 

Jack smiled as he watched Jesse devour his lunch. He was babbling excitedly about the trail ride they had been on. Jack couldn’t remember Jesse’s eyes ever being that bright before. He was so happy and it made the ice in his heart retreat further.

“Can I have a horse when I’m older?” Jesse asked. “Please, please, please?”

“We’ll see where we end up in the next few years,” Jack smiled. “If we’re somewhere that we can get a horse, we’ll see.”

“Thank you!” Jesse grinned before he stuffed his nachos into his mouth.

“I’m glad you had fun today,” Jack said as Jesse continued eating. “I know it hasn’t been easy. I want you to know that I love you, Jesse, no matter what.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” Jesse swallowed his mouthful and smiled. “You always do your best for me. I know that. I love you so much, Daddy.”

Jack swallowed back his tears and rubbed at his eyes. “So, your birthday’s coming up,” he said as he toyed with the package in his lap. “I don’t know if we’re going to be anywhere nice when it comes up, so I got you a little something. It’s kind of tacky, I’ll admit, but I think it’s cute.”

He set the package on the table and pushed it towards Jesse. Jesse pushed his plate aside and eagerly pulled the package towards him. He opened the box and stared at the belt and buckle inside.

“BAMF?” he asked as he lifted the buckle out of the box.

Jack glanced around, pretending to worry about anyone else hearing him. When he was sure the coast was clear, he leaned forward and smiled.

“Badass Motherfucker,” he said. “Think you can live up to that title?”

“Yes!” Jesse cackled as he got to his feet.

He fumbled to get the belt on, spinning on the spot as he tried to find the loop around his back. He managed to cinch everything around his waist after a few tries and stood there proudly with his buckle in plain view. He set his hands on his hips and grinned at Jack.

“I’m a real cowboy!” he said proudly. “You never have to be afraid, Daddy! I’ll keep you safe!”

Jack set a hand over his heart and chuckled. “Oh, I never doubted it for a second, my little _vaquerito_.”

Jesse sat back down and tipped his hat back, grinning widely. Jack knew it was a good present; almost as good as the homemade cowboy hat. He tried not to think about how quickly his little boy was growing up, but part of him wondered what Jesse would be like when he got older. He was a little worried about a “rebellious teenager phase” because he would not be able to handle that on his own, but he had a feeling that the most Jesse would do would be to put off his schoolwork and not endanger himself and Jack’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack has to work so hard to keep Jesse well-fed while still making it clear that you do not mess with him. And I'm not quite done twisting the knife~


	8. Chapter 8

“Hold it closer to your shoulder,” Jack instructed as he held the rifle snuggly against Jesse’s shoulder. “The kickback’s really strong on my pulse rifle and I don’t want you to wind up on your ass.”

Jesse nodded as he shifted his grip on the rifle. His hands weren’t as big as Jack’s were so he had a little bit of trouble getting the grip comfortable against his palms. It took a little bit of working before Jesse had the gun held properly against his shoulder.

“Like this, Dad?” he asked.

“Just like that,” Jack nodded. “Now, a lot of rifles have a scope, but that just gets in the way on mine.” He tapped the iron sights. “So what you want to do is line this piece up with this,” he pointed to the two parts, “and make sure the first part is sitting in the center of the second. That’ll help you aim.”

“Got it,” Jesse nodded.

Jack took a few steps back and nodded. “When you’re ready.”

“Firing,” Jesse grinned before he squeezed the trigger.

Jack lifted his chest proudly as Jesse blasted the targets apart. He popped the clip off the top and snapped another one in quickly, twisting to fire on the next group of targets. He paused and turned to grin at Jack, flipping the safety on as he hoisted it onto his shoulder.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“Very good,” Jack nodded. “You have amazing aim, Jesse.”

“It’s always been easy for me,” Jesse shrugged. “Is that…what Talon was hoping for, Dad?”

“I think so,” Jack sighed as he held a hand out. “Gabe was always better at hacking than I was. He got the information that suggested they were testing on making soldiers with impeccable aim, enhanced stamina, and augmented strength. Basically, it was SEP only done on children rather than adults.”

Jesse pressed against Jack’s side, tucking his head under Jack’s chin. “I’m glad you and Papi found me,” he murmured. “I don’t want to be a weapon.”

“I don’t either, _m’ijo_ ,” Jack kissed his forehead. “Want to try the pulse rifle again or want to move onto that gift?”

“Gift,” Jesse grinned and tipped his hat back. “You did miss my birthday, after all.”

“Don’t you start,” Jack tapped Jesse’s nose. “Who was the one that thought it was a good idea to hole up in a little shack in the middle of nowhere while Daddy was trying to find him?”

“Okay, so it wasn’t my brightest idea,” Jesse admitted as he handed the pulse rifle off. “But cut a kid some slack! I was pinned down by, like, ten people with RPGs!”

“There were three and they had shotguns,” Jack smirked. “I’m not saying it was a dumb idea, I’m just saying it’s your own fault for hiding on me.”

Jesse rolled his eyes playfully. “Yah, yah, old man,” he teased. “Let’s see what you got me.”

Jack smiled as he presented the carefully wrapped box. It had taken longer than he would like to admit to find decent wrapping paper. Everything was Easter focused at the moment and Jack wasn’t giving Jesse something like this wrapped in adorable little bunnies. It was just in poor taste.

Jesse carefully opened the box and gasped. “Holy shit,” he whispered as he pulled the custom six-shooter and leather holster out.

“Language, _m’ijo_ ,” Jack smirked. “You’re only twelve. Twelve year olds don’t say that.”

“Holy poop!” Jesse grinned at him before he ran his hand over the pistol. “Dad, this is amazing. It must have cost you a fortune!”

“Nothing is too much for my _m’ijo_ ,” Jack smiled. “Ammo’s on the bench. Give it a shot.”

Jesse nodded happily and hurried to load the pistol. He took his spot between the targets and held the pistol between his two hands. He put his tongue between his teeth and fired twice before dropping his left hand. He fired the last four bullets and spun the pistol back, dumping the shells over his shoulder.

“This is awesome!” he laughed. “You’re helping me turn into a bona fide cowboy!”

“One birthday at a time is all I can afford,” Jack teased. “Your form could use a little work.”

“That bad?” Jesse asked.

“You’re shooting one-handed,” Jack said as he walked over and pulled his sidearm out. “Bend your knees a little and turn, just like this. Makes you a harder target to hit.”

Jesse copied him before reloading the pistol and firing again. Jack nodded his approval, stepping back to let Jesse try out his pistol however he felt necessary. He watched, stepping in only to correct a few things before stepping back to let Jesse figure things out on his own.

Jack smiled as Jesse snapped the safety on and started spinning his gun. He grinned over his shoulder before sticking the pistol back in its holster. He looped his thumbs through his belt and leaned back.

“Name’s Reyes-Morrison,” he said.

“Bit of a mouthful,” Jack teased.

“That’s not my fault,” Jesse grinned before he looked at his boots. “Would Papi have been proud of me?” he asked softly.

Jack nodded and tipped Jesse’s chin up. “Papi would be so proud of you, _m’ijo_. You’re growing into a fine young man and, while I don’t like that you tag along, he would be proud of how well we work together.”

Jesse smiled and hugged Jack tightly. “I miss him,” he whispered.

“I miss him too, Jesse,” Jack murmured as he held his son close.

Jesse let out a long sigh as he pressed in closer. “I wish he didn’t leave,” he said. “It hurts.”

Jack squeezed tighter and pressed his face into Jesse’s hair. “I know, baby, I know.”

Jesse let out a soft noise before he started crying, clinging to Jack as a lifeline. Jack ran his fingers slowly through Jesse’s shaggy hair, kissing over his forehead to sooth him. The hot California sun beat down on them, but they didn’t care. They needed a moment and no one was there to tell them no.

“Come on,” Jack murmured. “Help me clean everything up.”

Jesse nodded and wiped at his eyes. “Sorry,” he said.

“Don’t be sorry, _m’ijo_ ,” Jack reassured him. “Crying isn’t a sign of weakness.”

“You don’t cry,” Jesse smiled.

Jack looked away and took a deep breath. “Heart’s too frozen to shed tears,” he said.

Jesse squeezed his hand tightly before they started cleaning up. They had everything packed and stowed away in the truck in less than a half-hour and were driving down the road. They had discussed where their next stopping point would be and it had taken a while to decide on Los Angeles.

Jack had been avoiding the city as much as he could, but it offered the best places on the West Coast to hide out and avoid detection. That had been Gabriel’s hometown. It was probably impossible to find exactly where he had spent his youth as most of the city had been hit hard by the Omnic Crisis. Still, the thought of walking the same streets that Gabriel had hurt.

Jack drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they got closer and closer to L.A. Jesse was squirming in his seat, glancing out the window and then at Jack.

“Did Papi really grow up here?” he blurted out.

“He did,” Jack said. “Don’t ask me where; a lot of the city got destroyed during the Omnic Crisis and it hurt Papi to talk about.”

“Oh,” Jesse sighed. “That’s too bad.”

“It is,” Jack sighed. “I grew up out in Indiana. Half a world away. Didn’t even know Gabriel existed until we were in the SEP together.”

“How did you two meet again?” Jesse asked.

Jack smiled. Jesse loved hearing the story and Jack enjoyed telling it. It was funny in hindsight. Hilarious if the right person was telling the story.

“We met in the Soldier Enhancement Program. I was one of the youngest soldiers inducted into the program from its inception. I was told I had a lot of promise for whatever reason; never believed them for a second. Lot of the older soldiers weren’t happy to see me there. Rather insulting to them, I think, to have a kid trotting around them,” he chuckled. “Gabriel was probably one of the worst. Couldn’t stand to look at me. Went out of his way to give me a shove in the arm that got injected. Finally, a few months into the program, I couldn’t take being passive anymore. I waited for the next asshole that decided he was going to shove me around and lashed out. Gabriel shoved a little too hard after an injection, teasing me about being the base’s pillow boy, and I turned around and punched him in the jaw.”

“And knocked him out,” Jesse laughed. “Papi must have been surprised!”

“He was,” Jack grinned. “I was about five-foot-eight and incredibly gangly. No one thought I was capable of hitting someone as hard as I did. Might have been helped by the chemicals I was pumped full of, might not have. Either way, Papi didn’t shove me again.”

“When did you realize that you loved Papi?” Jesse asked with a sweet smile.

“Not until he almost died in the Crisis,” Jack murmured. “We were in Germany and making the final push to free one of the little villages. There was this horrible explosion ahead of me and it just shredded our numbers. And there was Gabriel, somehow still alive even though he was bleeding out a thousand different holes. I pulled him close and begged him not to leave me. He confessed first, told me that he’d loved me for so many years and that he’d been scared to tell me, afraid that I’d reject him.”

“Would you have?” Jesse asked.

“I don’t know,” Jack admitted. “It wasn’t until I almost lost him that I realized how much I loved him. If he had said something before, I don’t know if I would have felt the same. It’s horrible to say and I hope you never go through something like that, Jesse.”

Jesse let out a soft sigh. “I hope I find someone like you and Papi,” he murmured. “You were so happy and even when you were arguing you loved each other.”

“Papi was an ass,” Jack said fondly. “But he was mine.”

Jesse giggled and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. “I never saw that, Dad; Papi was just my hero,” he said.

“I’m glad you only remember the good things, Jesse,” Jack said. “There was a lot happening.”

“I remember hiding in saferooms,” Jesse murmured. “I remember being scared of Papi went he went into that wraith form of his and started killing people. But I know he loved me and was only doing it to keep me safe.” He rubbed his hand over his chest and sniffled. “I miss him so much.”

Jack reached out to run his hand through Jesse’s hair. “Me too, Jesse. Me too.”

* * *

 

Jesse climbed into bed with Dad and pressed in against his chest. Dad’s arms wrapped sleepily around him and he saw small slivers of blue through Dad’s eyelids.

“Mmm, nightmare?” he asked softly.

“Yah,” Jesse murmured as he pressed in closer. “You don’t mind?”

“Never,” Dad smiled sleepily. “Get comfy.”

Jesse hadn’t realized how much he hated silence until he didn’t hear his parents making love every night. It took him a while to figure out why he couldn’t sleep at night and when the realization dawned on him, he’d cried for an hour. He was so used to hearing grunts and moans and laughter and teasing that to not hear it anymore left him feeling exposed. That was why he climbed into bed with Dad. Between the soft snores and the sound of his heartbeat, the silence was kept at bay.

Jesse pressed his head against Dad’s chest, closing his eyes slowly. He listened to Dad’s heartbeat, smiling a little at the steady rhythm. Listening to his Dad’s heartbeat always made him feel better. There was something soothing about the constant thumping that reassured him that he wasn’t going to be left alone.

He was always worried that he was going to be left alone when Dad went out to uphold justice. He tried to tag along when he could, but Dad made sure to keep him in the safehouse when it was too dangerous. He didn’t like Jesse tagging along. Dad was worried about losing him like they lost Papi, but Jesse was scared of losing him the same way.

He tucked himself closer to Dad and let out a soft sigh. Dad tiredly rubbed his face against Jesse’s head before he immediately fell back to sleep. Jesse smiled and quickly followed him into dreamland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's how Jesse got Peacekeeper. Don't ask about what happened with the shack. Jesse doesn't like to talk about it.
> 
> And yah, Jesse took comfort from the sound of his parents having sex. It was something he heard every night and now that it's gone...well, he doesn't like it that much. Needs to snuggle with his Dad to feel safe.


	9. Chapter 9

Jesse blinked his eyes open. The television had turned itself off at some point after his and Dad’s movie ended. The room was dark, barely even giving himself enough light to see Dad’s arm hanging off the couch just in front of his nose. There was a little bit of moonlight coming in through the window, but not much and just barely enough to see by. Dad’s breath ruffled his hair as he exhaled, tickling the soft hairs on the back of his neck.

He wondered momentarily what had woken him up. He wasn’t the deepest sleeper, but it took a lot to wake him up compared to Dad. Dad wasn’t even stirring behind him, still fast asleep with one arm draped over Jesse’s hip and the other acting as Jesse’s pillow. He frowned, shifting slightly on the couch, and froze.

There were soft footsteps on the kitchen floor. He settled quietly against the couch, controlling his breathing as he listened. Boots. Those were boots moving across the floor towards them. Jesse let out a long breath and slowly reached for his gun on the coffee table. His fingers wrapped around the grip and he carefully lifted it up. He didn’t want to make a noise and attract the attention of the intruder.

He heard the boots stop right behind the couch and slowly curled himself around. He heard the boots shift, like they were getting ready for something. Grabbing a gun, maybe? Jesse took a deep breath before he surged to his feet and spun around, pointing his gun at the intruder.

“Reach for the sky,” he ordered.

Dad’s eyes snapped open and he reached for his sidearm. The intruder took a step back in surprise, lifting their head to get a better look at Jesse. Jesse shifted his feet a little bit further apart and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like being ignored just because he was young. A bullet was a bullet no matter who was pulling the trigger. People seemed to forget that.

“I said, reach for the sky,” Jesse snarled.

“Best listen to him,” Dad warned as he stood up. “He’s got a good eye, even in poor lighting.”

The intruder slowly lifted their hands, claws gleaming in the shafts of moonlight that trickled through the blinds. They made a show of looking from Dad to Jesse before inclining their head.

“I wouldn’t pull the trigger if I were you,” he said in a dead man’s voice. “It won’t give you the satisfaction you think it will.”

Jesse’s arms trembled. “Papi?” he whimpered.

“Jesse,” Dad said coldly. “Ask a question. One only Papi would know.”

Jesse blinked and glared at the intruder. Right. Voices could be copied with ease. That could be anyone under that hood. He had to think of a good question, something that only his Papi would know. He chewed on his lip before lifting his chin defiantly.

“What was my favourite song that Papi used to sing to me?” Jesse demanded.

The man that was trying to be Papi let out a low chuckle. He began singing, the deep voice making Jesse whimper. He was singing in Spanish about woodpeckers and the sun. It was him. It was him, it was Papi, it was…!

“Jesse, keep your gun up,” Dad’s voice cut through his excitement. “Don’t drop your guard for a second.”

Papi turned his head towards Dad and started singing softly. Dad tensed up and his eyes widened as his mouth opened and tears built up on his lashes.

_“I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream._

_I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam._

_And I know it’s true, that visions are seldom what they seem._

_But I know you, I know what you’ll do,_

_You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.”_

“Jesse, get the lights, now,” Dad ordered. “Keep your gun on him.”

Jesse nodded his head and scooted towards the light switch. He flicked it on and almost bolted towards the black clad figure. He recognized Reaper’s attire anywhere, from the boots, to the belts, to the bone-white mask. He whimpered, looking at Dad expectantly.

Dad’s chest was heaving and tears were starting to trickle down his face. “Drop the disguise,” he ordered.

Reaper melted away, leaving Papi in his wake. Dad’s eyes darted across Papi’s face before he lowered his gun. He set it down on the coffee table, his hands shaking.

“Gabe,” he whimpered before he vaulted over the couch. “YOU COCK-SUCKING SON OF A BITCH!”

Papi caught Dad and crushed him against his chest. Jesse felt tears rushing down his face as he watched, unsure if he was angry or overjoyed. The emotions felt so similar in that moment that he couldn’t be sure.

“You let me think you were dead!” Dad screamed as he beat his fists on Papi’s chest. “How could you do that to me, Gabriel? How could you do that to Jesse?!”

“I’m sorry, _mi luna_ ,” Papi said as he hugged Dad close. “I was undercover. I didn’t mean to make you worried. Reinhardt was supposed to tell you what was going on.”

“Evidently he didn’t!” Dad snapped before he grabbed Papi’s head and pulled him into a heated kiss. “You. Dirty. Rotten. Bastard!”

Papi and Dad kissed repeatedly, Dad’s hands tangling in Papi’s black curls. Tears were running down Dad’s face and Papi had to hold him up with his arms around the small of his back to keep him from falling. Dad pulled away, wiping angrily at his eyes.

“I cried over you, you asshole!” he snarled before pointing at Jesse. “You’d better give your son the biggest fucking hug of your life or I’m booting your ass to the curb for my hounds to play with!”

Papi lifted his hands to placate him before turning towards Jesse. “Hey, _m’ijo_ ,” he said as he held his arms out. “I get if you’re mad. I deserve it.”

Jesse flicked the safety on his gun and put it on the counter. “Dad’s right; you’re an asshole,” Jesse sniffled before he threw himself into Papi’s arms. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Jesse,” Papi murmured as he hugged him tight. “Missed you every single day. You’ve grown up so much. Have you helped your Daddy be sane?”

“I helped Dad, yah,” Jesse smiled.

“Dad?” Papi pulled back a little bit. “Oh, I hope you didn’t stop calling him ‘Daddy’ because you weren’t little anymore.”

“Gabe, it’s fine,” Dad rolled his eyes. “Don’t criticize our son on what he calls me. He doesn’t call me ‘bitch-face’ so it’s fine.”

Papi let out a snort of laughter as he hugged Jesse close. “Who called you bitch-face?”

“You did,” Dad said. “Right before I knocked you on your ass.”

“Ah,” Papi said as he rubbed between Jesse’s shoulders. “Don’t ever call your mate names; they will never let you forget it.”

Jesse laughed and nodded in understanding.

* * *

 

Jack woke and pulled Gabriel closer to him. Jesse’s face was pressed into his chest and a thin line of drool connected his mouth to Jack’s shirt. He smiled and ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair, sighing softly as his son squirmed.

“He’s grown so much,” Gabriel murmured as he rested his cheek on Jack’s head.

“It’s been three years, Gabriel,” Jack said. “He’s not a little boy anymore.”

Gabriel let out a long sigh as he cupped Jesse’s cheek. He hugged both of them close, squishing Jesse between their pectorals. He whined in discomfort, wiggling until he was in a sitting position.

“Papi, I don’t want to be squished between yours and Dad’s pecs,” he huffed.

“Wasn’t the intention,” Gabriel smiled as he ruffled Jesse’s hair. “Quite the mop you got growing there.”

“I like my hair,” Jesse pouted.

“Needs a trim,” Gabriel chuckled. “Just a little one to keep it healthy. Looks good on you, _m’ijo_.”

Jesse huffed before he crawled over Gabriel and headed for the washroom down the hall. Gabriel let out a long sigh of contentment before he kissed Jack and pulled him close. Jack groaned into his husband’s mouth, reaching up to drag his nails over Gabriel’s scalp.

“Gabe,” he groaned as he was pulled up onto Gabriel’s chest. “Mmm, I missed you too, but Jesse’s awake.”

Gabriel’s hands kneaded into his rump and Jack shivered. He moaned his husband’s name, leaning back into the hands. He missed this wake-up call, but they had a preteen now. They couldn’t just have sex like they used to with an oblivious child running around.

“TAKING A SHOWER!” Jesse shouted.

“Problem solved,” Gabriel grinned wickedly at Jack.

Jack let out a long groan as his pajama pants were pulled down to his knees. Gabriel’s thick fingers pulled his cheeks apart, rubbing his still covered erection against Jack’s entrance. Jack tipped his head back and bit his lip.

“Gabe, fuck, I don’t know if I have any lube,” he whispered.

“So we use spit,” Gabriel smirked.

Jack shook his head before crawling over his husband and yanking the nightstand open. He dug his wallet out and went looking for the special packet. He pulled it out and grinned, waving it in Gabriel’s face.

“Looks like I do have some lube,” he purred.

Gabriel grabbed it and tore the packet open. He coated his fingers in lube before he took himself in hand and started pumping furiously. Jack twisted himself around and pulled Gabriel’s pajama pants down to his knees. He moaned as he felt Gabriel’s greedy mouth on his rump, kissing and lapping over his entrance. His tongue delved in, lapping at the walls roughly enough to make Jack arch his back.

“G-Gabe,” he whimpered, pressing into the greedy mouth. “G-gentle, please. I haven’t…not in three years.”

That confession only seemed to make Gabriel more determined. His hands dug into Jack’s hips and he pulled him closer as his tongue pushed deeper. Jack gasped and moaned, arching his back and hips as he clawed at the bedsheets. The tongue was replaced by two fingers and stretched him wide before the tongue dove back in. Jack let out a long wail of pleasure, his erection bobbing as he started thrusting his hips.

“Gabe, Gabe I’m so close,” he sobbed.

The fingers curled and dragged over his walls, searching for his sweet spot. Jack sobbed in pleasure, head rolling back as Gabriel’s tongue continued lapping. Jack jolted as Gabriel’s fingers found his prostate and began to mercilessly rub over it. His hips pushed back onto the fingers and he screamed in pleasure.

“GABRIEL!” he shrieked as he climaxed. “Oh, gods, YES!”

He slumped forward, moaning as he nuzzled Gabriel’s cock affectionately. Gabriel nuzzled his rump, purring loudly as Jack lazily tried to turn around. Gabriel smiled as Jack rolled over, bracing his feet against the headboard.

“I missed you,” Jack sighed as he tried to sit up. “Mmm, but you didn’t listen when I said ‘gentle’, you asshole.”

“I was gentle,” Gabriel chuckled as he supported Jack’s lower back so he could sit up. “Didn’t feel my teeth, did you?”

Jack rolled his eyes playfully before he scooted forward so that he could lean over Gabriel’s head. “What would I do if you never came home again?” he asked softly.

“Live for Jesse,” Gabriel said as he ran his knuckles over Jack’s cheek. “We promised we would do everything for him. Just because one of us doesn’t come home doesn’t mean we break that promise.”

Jack leaned into the hand that cupped his face and kissed along Gabriel’s palm. He smiled down at Gabriel before he reached down to pull his head up against his chest. Gabriel purred before he started kissing over his pectoral, hands resting on Jack’s hips as he pulled his nipple into his mouth.

* * *

 

“Welcome to L.A,” Gabriel grumbled as he drove through rush-hour traffic. “Still as congested as I remember.”

Jack chuckled in the passenger seat as Jesse eagerly pressed his nose against the window. He navigated his way through the city, laying on the horn more times than he could count because THAT’S WHAT YOUR BLINKER’S FOR, ASSHOLE! He’d forgotten how terrible city drivers were. He pulled up in front of the house his contacts had managed to secure for them and smirked at Jack’s approving nod.

“Haven’t had a decent house in a while, huh?” Gabriel asked as he parked in the driveway.

“Been on the run,” Jack shrugged as he climbed out. “Haven’t settled down in three years.”

“Well, now we can, for a little while at least,” Gabriel smiled as he walked around the truck to kiss his husband. “I want Jesse to go to high school like a normal kid.”

“You always say that and I’m never the normal kid,” Jesse laughed as he started hauling suitcases in. “I mean, what twelve year old has rock-hard abs?”

“None that I know of,” Gabriel laughed as he followed his son inside. “Um, Jesse, do you still have Prancer?”

“Of course!” Jesse gave him a shocked look. “Why the hell would I get rid of my best friend?”

“Well, I thought, maybe, in an attempt to seem older,” Gabriel rubbed his neck self-consciously.

“I stopped calling Dad ‘Daddy’ because it sounded weird coming out of a ten-year-old’s mouth,” Jesse wrinkled his nose. “And Prancer’s retired. He’s enjoying his golden years on my bed making sure no one touches my stuff.”

Gabriel let out a soft chuckle before he pulled his son close and kissed his nose. Jesse returned the hug, hiding his face in Gabriel’s chest. Jack walked past to start making a grocery list, smiling over his shoulder at them. Gabriel tried to keep his nasty smirk to himself as he noticed that Jack was limping a little. It was so tempting to comment on it, but he knew better. Jack would kick his ass now that Jesse was old enough to understand what they were doing.

“It’s good to be home,” Gabriel murmured as he let Jesse go move his stuff into his room.

“Home as in L.A or home as in us?” Jack asked as he tapped his pencil against his lip.

“Home as in us,” Gabriel chuckled as he leaned against the counter beside his husband. “I don’t care where I am; so long as I have you and Jesse, that’s home.”

Jack gave him a fond smile and leaned over to kiss him. “You have a way with words, _mi sol_.”

Gabriel purred and kissed his husband, pulling him in close. He ran his fingers through Jack’s golden hair, smiling against his lips as his husband let out a long sigh of contentment. He whispered gentle nothings in Spanish, loving how Jack melted against him and snuggled in close.

He missed this. He missed these tender moments. Working for Reinhardt for three years only cemented in his mind why he would never work for Overwatch. There was no tenderness in Blackwatch. There was no companionship in Overwatch. There was only a glaring corruption that no one wanted to deal with. He’d take the vigilante work with Jack any day over that nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh please, like I'd really kill Gabe off in a story like this! He was busy doing work for Reinhardt and the guy was SUPPOSED to tell Jack. Apparently, that memo got lost somewhere to Reinhardt's office. Oops. Well, at least he's back now so Jack can whip him back into shape and demand three years out of his hide for making him worry.


	10. Chapter 10

Jesse swung his backpack over his shoulder. “Hey, I’m heading out,” he called.

“You sure you don’t want me to drive you there?” Papi asked as he leaned on the doorframe heading into the kitchen.

Jesse smirked at Papi. He was already dressed and ready to bolt for the truck if Jesse said so. His brown eyes were filled with worry, but Jesse didn’t dismiss it as parental overprotectiveness. He wasn’t stupid. L.A was dangerous and for someone like him, it was even more dangerous. Talon was all over the damn city and Overwatch was trailing behind even if Reinhardt was keeping Blackwatch away.

“I’ll be fine,” Jesse reassured Papi. “It’s not far. Fifteen minutes, tops.”

“I know,” Papi sighed and rubbed his neck. “Just…be careful, okay, _m’ijo_?”

“I will,” Jesse promised. “Dad! Come distract your husband before I’m shadowed down the street!”

“Gabe, he’s fine,” Dad chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Papi’s chest and pulled him close. “He’s fourteen and can kill anyone that messes with him. We raise him well.”

“I know,” Papi leaned into Dad’s embrace as Jesse left the house.

Jesse wasn’t stupid. He knew the second he was down the street that his parents would be fucking each other brainless on whatever surface they could find. Most kids would probably be disgusted by how horny their parents were, but Jesse couldn’t find it in himself to be anything but amused. There were his parents, two of the most dangerous men alive, men that could kill someone with their bare hands, still fucking like teenagers every chance they got.

The walk to school was pleasant enough. Papi liked to bitch about the lack of smog in the city, but Jesse found it invigorating. It was nice to walk around the city and not have to think about what breathing in the air was doing to his lungs. He could have done with a little less humidity, but it was better than nothing he supposed.

There were a lot of students outside the school when he arrived. He weaved his way through the crowd, tailing after the other freshmen in search of the people in charge of giving him his locker, combination, and schedule. They were set up in the furthest possible corner and made no effort to be spotted. Jesse almost walked by them without noticing them until he spotted the pile of time-tables at one person’s elbow.

Once he had everything in hand, he headed for his locker. He stashed his backpack inside, whistling to himself as he hung his hat up on the peg in the back. He got a few odd looks as he shook his shaggy hair out, but he ignored them as he looked his schedule over. Math first thing in the morning; awesome!

He got lost twice on the way to class, but still managed to get there early enough to claim a seat by the front. He spread out his notebook and binder, making sure that he had everything he’d need to take notes. The other freshmen filed in shortly after, one or two looking incredibly overwhelmed. One student hurried in and Jesse felt his blood run cold.

“Jesse?” she stared at him in shock.

Jesse forced a smile to his face and leaned back in his seat. “Well, if it ain’t a small world,” he teased. “Nice to see you again, Angela.”

Angela let out a squeal before she hurried forward to hug him. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it’s you! You’re so tall now!”

“Well, I couldn’t stay little forever,” he laughed. “Have a seat before the teacher gets here; rumor is he’s a real hardass.”

Angela sat down beside him and set her books out. Jesse did his best not to glare at her out of the corner of his eye. It could have been a simple coincidence that she was here, but his gut told him no. Angela probably didn’t have a clue what her mother and father did, but that didn’t mean Jesse could trust her. He’d have to let his parents know.

The teacher walked in and immediately started handing out the syllabus. They droned on through the rest of the class, eyes as bored as could be as Jesse scribbled notes. Jesse tried not to be disappointed as he left the class; he wanted to enjoy his math class but the teacher just seemed bored. How was he supposed to be excited if the teacher wasn’t?

Angela was in all of his classes. He almost grabbed her by the throat at lunch and demanded to know how that happened, but he controlled himself. He didn’t trust her. He should have been excited to see his childhood friend; she was certainly happy to see him; but all he felt was a niggling worm of dread in his gut.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice the other student until he’d walked into them. His hand shot out immediately and caught the slightly shorter boy by the front of his shirt before he hit the floor. Startled brown eyes stared up at him as he hoisted the boy back to his feet.

“Sorry about that, pardner,” Jesse apologized. “Shoulda been watchin’ where I was putting my feet.”

“Do you often walk around with your head in the clouds?” the boy demanded with a strange accent.

“Yah, bad habit,” Jesse shrugged.

The other boy snorted and shook his head. “Be more careful in the future,” he said. “And your belt is foolish.”

“Hey,” Jesse laughed as he looped his fingers in his belt. “Can’t all have our talents advertised, can we?”

The boy gave him a flat look before chuckling. “Oh dear; how do you fit through the doors with an ego that inflated?” he asked before walking away.

“Name’s Jesse!” he shouted after the boy.

“Hanzo,” the boy shouted back. “Try not to run anyone else over, Jesse.”

“I make no promises,” Jesse laughed as he headed for his locker.

* * *

 

Jack tried to keep a straight face as Gabriel watched him walk around the kitchen in high heels. How Gabriel had even managed to find a pair that fit Jack’s feet was beyond him. At least Gabriel wasn’t expecting him to wear something stupid with them; he seemed to enjoy him in baggy jeans and a t-shirt.

“These are so uncomfortable,” Jack huffed as he leaned on the counter. “Can I take them off now?”

“You have to break them in,” Gabriel shrugged. “What better way to do that than to wear them?”

“Gabriel, I am two seconds from throwing them at you,” Jack warned as he slipped the shoes off and groaned in delight. “I think my pinky toe’s going to fall off.”

“You big baby,” Gabriel laughed.

“I don’t see you wearing a pair, Mr. We Need to Try Something Different,” Jack snapped as he reached down to massage his foot.

Gabriel laughed louder before he walked over and covered Jack’s neck in kisses. “Aw, _mi luna_ ,” he teased. “You look so good in heels. Why would I try to steal that from you?”

“Gabriel Reyes-Morrison, I should clock you one for that,” Jack growled.

Gabriel pulled him close and started kissing insistently over his neck and shoulders. Jack shivered, covering his mouth as he moaned in pleasure. He was supposed to be mad, damn it! It wasn’t fair that he always had to model stuff for Gabriel to see if it was worth their time, never the other way around. But the more tongue Gabriel added to the kisses, the less Jack wanted to fight.

“You are such a cheater,” Jack huffed as Gabriel’s hands slowly slid down his chest. “Why can’t you model something for once?”

“I have a few things in mind,” Gabriel chuckled before he nosed behind Jack’s ear. “Mmm, I want to fuck you so bad, Jack, but Jesse should be home soon.”

“You’re actually thinking with the right head for once,” Jack teased.

He almost regretted saying it as Gabriel started humping him. Gabriel growled possessively in his ear, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. His teeth grazed down Jack’s neck, pulling a soft moan from him. He stopped just as the door to the house opened, leaving Jack red faced and panting.

“Hey,” Jesse called. “I have bad news.”

“Please tell me you didn’t beat someone up on the way home,” Gabriel sighed as Jesse trotted into the kitchen.

“Worse,” Jesse snorted as he dropped his bag onto the table. “The Zieglers are in town.”

“Oh, wonderful,” Jack threw his hands in the air. “Just when I was starting to know the area.”

“They’re harmless,” Gabriel waved a hand. “They work for Ana, not Talon.” Jack and Jesse blinked at him in surprise and Gabriel shrugged. “I had to work with them a few times.”

“Oh,” Jack frowned. “So, you have classes with Angela, I take it?”

“All of them,” Jesse growled as he dropped into a chair. “I’ve never wanted to hurt someone so badly and it wasn’t even her fault!”

“Oh, _m’ijo_ ,” Jack sighed as he walked over and hugged his son. “It’s okay. You’re fine and so are we. No harm came of it. You were both just little kids; she likely didn’t even know.”

“Probably doesn’t even remember giving the stupid wand to me,” Jesse agreed. “Why are there high heels on the kitchen floor?”

“Your Papi thinks I look good in them,” Jack rolled his eyes.

“Least it isn’t a maid outfit,” Jesse grimaced.

“Please don’t give him any ideas,” Jack groaned.

“You’d wear that?” Gabriel shot him a wicked grin.

“Not on your life,” Jack snapped before he went to check on supper. “I don’t do frills.”

“Could find one without frills for you,” Gabriel purred.

“We’re changing the subject,” Jack said as he poked the baking chicken with a toothpick. “Did you have fun at school?”

“My math teacher doesn’t sound like he wants to be there,” Jesse sighed. “English should be fine. Science is basic stuff. Music should be a blast; they’re letting me play guitar!”

“Sounds like a fun first semester,” Jack smiled as he straightened up. Gabriel was rooting around in the linen drawer and Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Honey, what are you doing?”

Gabriel stood up and held a frilly, pink apron out to him. “You don’t do frills my ass!” he laughed triumphantly.

“That’s an apron,” Jack rolled his eyes. “It actually has a purpose other than to be ‘sexy’,” he wiggled his fingers in air quotes. “And it’s only a little bit of frill, not lace and lords only know what else.”

“Oh come on,” Gabriel huffed and placed his hands on his hips.

“And I’m too hairy to look good in an outfit like that,” Jack snorted.

“You’ve barely got any body hair on you, you dork,” Gabriel laughed as he stepped forward and kissed along Jack’s jaw.

“More than what those outfits were meant for,” Jack smirked. “Besides, I’m no one’s maid, not even in your fantasies.”

“So cruel, _mi amor_ ,” Gabriel purred.

“You two are gross,” Jesse called.

“Your Papi is gross,” Jack said as he stepped away from his husband and put the apron back in the drawer. “I’m an innocent little flower.”

“Yah, bullshit you are,” Jesse laughed as he lounged in his seat.

“Well, comparatively,” Jack smirked at his husband and started getting the salad ready for supper.

* * *

 

Gabriel thrust hard into Jack, enjoying the soft whimpers of pained pleasure it earned him. Jack shivered under him, rolling his spine up into Gabriel’s chest to change the angle of the thrust. Gabriel bit down on Jack’s shoulder, loving the surprised gasp it earned him.

“Innocent little flower,” Gabriel purred into Jack’s ear as he slammed Jack’s hips hard against his own. “We both know that’s a dirty lie, _mi amor_.”

“Gabe,” Jack whimpered. “Oh gods, Gabe.”

Gabriel grabbed Jack’s wrists and pulled them behind his back, forcing his husband out of the curled position he had been in. Jack stuttered out a groan as Gabriel rolled back and started bouncing Jack roughly in his lap. He released Jack’s wrists and they dutifully wrapped around Gabriel’s neck, holding Jack in place as Gabriel thrust.

“Harder,” Jack whimpered. “Harder!”

Gabriel grabbed Jack’s hips and slammed them forcibly down onto his lap. Jack threw his head back against Gabriel’s shoulder, moaning in pleasure as Gabriel continued his brutal pace. He kissed and bit along Jack’s neck and shoulder, growling possessively as Jack started stuttering his words.

“So good,” he whimpered. “Oh Gabe, don’t stop!”

“Mine,” Gabriel growled as he felt the tight walls rippling around him. “All mine.”

He felt it a moment too late and winced as Reaper overtook him. His claws sank into Jack’s flesh and he heard his husband cry out in pain and surprise before both of them climaxed. Jack slumped against his chest, moaning as his walls rippled and seemed to suck at Gabriel’s cock.

“That’s a first,” Jack murmured as he reached up to run his fingers over the mark. “Since when do you let him take over?”

Reaper ran his fingers down Jack’s thigh. “Never,” he murmured. “I lost control.”

“Mmm, well,” Jack rolled over and flopped backwards onto the mattress. His blue eyes were a little disoriented, but it only made him gorgeous. Reaper crawled forward, nuzzling gently along Jack’s scarred chest. “I have been curious what it would be like to have sex with Reaper.”

“An experience,” Reaper chuckled before he shifted the mask aside and kissed Jack tenderly. “I know I could do terrible things to you, Jack. It would not take much effort or imagination.”

“But you won’t,” Jack smiled as he trailed his hand down Reaper’s chest. “Because Gabriel and Reaper love me.”

“More than you could ever imagine,” Reaper agreed. He kissed Jack gently and licked his lips. “There is something I have been…curious to try.”

“Oh?” Jack’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “And what would that be?”

“Wearing you like a suit,” Reaper purred. “Being inside of you playing with all of your nerves. Teasing you to the edge and then pulling away to watch you try to touch yourself, but can’t because I’m in full control. To be so deep inside of you that you can’t even begin to imagine life without me there.”

Jack’s pupils dilated with want. “Yes,” he hissed.

“Hold still,” Reaper smiled as he dissolved into smoke. “And try to keep your voice down so you don’t wake Jesse.”

He slipped beneath Jack’s flesh and moaned at the feeling. Jack arched off the bed, gasping as Reaper curled and pressed over every nerve he could find. He coiled around Jack’s heart, nuzzling it as his smoke rushed through meat and blood. Jack’s cock strained against his belly, the skin darkening as Reaper forced it to stand erect.

“Gabe, it’s too much,” Jack whimpered. “It’s too much!”

Reaper retreated immediately, misting out of Jack’s body. Jack covered his face and sobbed, kicking his feet as his erection bobbed.

“I’m sorry,” Reaper whispered as he held Jack close. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Too much,” Jack whispered. “Too much, too soon. Have to build up to that. Maybe little bits here and there until I can handle all of you.”

“Alright,” Reaper murmured as Gabriel emerged from the smoke. “Ssh, I got you, _mi luna_.”

Jack snuggled close, wiping his tears on Gabriel’s chest. Gabriel ran his fingers slowly through Jack’s hair, humming softly to help him calm down. This wasn’t the first time they’d accidentally hurt each other having sex. Jack would be fine; he just needed a few minutes to catch his breath.

They’d be fucking like rabbits again in about ten minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesse's first day of high school! Yay! Except Angela's in all of his classes; how'd that happen? And who is this hottie, why, none other than Hanzo Shimada~ Baby's first crush.
> 
> Jack models high-heels for his husband because why not? They were originally made for men anyways and Jack could rock them. When they aren't cutting off the circulation in his toes, the hell Gabe?! And it turns out the Zieglers aren't the bad guys; they're just really, painfully obvious about themselves and the rogues just thought they worked for Talon because who else could they work for?
> 
> Gabriel/Reaper has always been curious about slipping under Jack's skin to tease him from the inside. Turns out, it's a lot more intense than he thought and Jack's just not ready for that. Gotta build up slowly, Gabe, silly man.


	11. Chapter 11

Jesse sprawled out across Genji’s lap and grinned up at the flustered boy. It was so much fun to make someone so adorably handsome blush bright red so he looked like a really weird radish. Red face and green hair; a picture worth taking to tease him with later.

“Oh, woe is me,” he whined. “To be as handsome as I am and never know what it is like to love another.”

“You’re an ass,” Genji whined before he shoved Jesse onto the grass. “Angela, your friend’s being an ass!”

“You’re the one that was dumb enough to tell him you had a crush on him,” Angela said as she nibbled on a carrot stick.

“I didn’t know that he was going to act like this!” Genji wailed before pouting. “You’re so mean, Jesse.”

“Sorry,” Jesse grinned before he rolled to a sitting position. “My Dad taught me to be a shameless flirt in the face of another’s affection.”

Angela shot him a smirk before the bell rang out. They hauled themselves to their feet and headed back inside, trying not to mope about the fact that they weren’t allowed to stay outside to enjoy the sunshine. They headed for their history class, sitting down beside each other with Jesse in the center. It was how they’d sat since the beginning of the second semester of Grade 9 after Jesse figured out that Hanzo “Way Too Hot” Shimada’s younger brother was in his class.

Their history teacher walked in and started the lesson, droning on about the evils of colonialism without any real conviction. Jesse took notes, adding annotations on the side to do his own research since the teacher was being stingy with information. Half-way through the lesson, alarms started blaring through the school.

Jesse lifted his head in surprise before he cursed. The school was going into lockdown. Most of the other students started panicking as the teacher calmly walked over to the door and locked it, pulling the blind down over the window.

“Everyone, under your desks,” the teacher instructed. “Stay quiet and we’ll be okay.”

Jesse slipped under his desk, flipping it over to form a make-shift shield. He pulled his cellphone out and turned off the ringtone. He fired off a quick text to his Papi letting him know that the school just went into lockdown and that he was fine at the moment. He put his cellphone in his back pocket and smiled reassuringly at Angela.

She had her hand over her mouth and was staring at her feet. The class was silent, all of them hoping that everything was going to be alright. Jesse kept track of the minutes, one hand in his back pocket in case the cellphone went off.

There was a loud crack from the door and Jesse closed his eyes. Someone screamed and the door was violently kicked in. Jesse heard the door slam against the far wall before the sharp crack of a high powered rifle went off. Jesse didn’t dare look to see who had just been shot, but he had a feeling that it was the teacher.

“Everyone stand up,” a voice ordered. “We don’t want anyone dead, but don’t think we won’t shoot you if you do anything we don’t like.”

Jesse took a deep breath and texted his Papi that “everything went to shit”, stuck his cellphone in his back pocket, and stood up. He lifted his hands over his head and glared at the men dressed in dark clothing and gas masks. He knew that uniform. These goons worked for Talon.

“Ah, Specimen Thirteen,” one of the goons chuckled. “How nice to see you again. Hands on your head like a good little boy and none of your friends will get shot.”

Jesse did as he was told, glaring at the men as the other students shakily got to their feet. Genji was the last to stand, shaking from head to toe as he stuffed his hands into his green hair. The goons all stared at Genji and Jesse used the distraction to vault his desk and football tackle the lead goon around the waist.

They went down with a thump, Jesse’s fist beating into the man’s throat. He wrenched the assault rifle from the man’s hands and lifted it to his shoulder as he rose to his feet, staring the other goons down.

“Now, how about you nice boys back out of the room and leave us be?” Jesse growled. The goons all snickered at him as they turned their guns on his classmates. “You really think you can pull the trigger faster than I can? Specimen Thirteen, remember? You know what I can do.”

The goons froze before one of them pulled something off of their belt. Jesse had enough time to think “that looks like a flashbang” before the world erupted into white. His eyes and ears echoed with pain as he stumbled backwards. He didn’t know which way was up or if he was even still conscious. He felt someone grab him and wrestle him to the floor, pinning him down and pummelling his face until he was dazed. He was hoisted to his feet and thrown over someone’s shoulders.

“Anyone else want to try to be a hero?” a goon asked. “No? Good. Get moving.”

Jesse let out a bloody cough and watched the ground as it rolled by underneath him. His head was swimming and everything hurt. Blood dripped down his face and pattered against the ground. His eyes fluttered closed and he let himself sink into oblivion.

* * *

 

Jack all but kicked the doors to the meeting room open. He stormed inside, Reaper on his heels as the Overwatch agents blinked at them in alarm. Ana narrowed her eyes and started to get to her feet.

“How did you get in here?” Ana demanded. “This is a secure….”

Jack walked up to her without a second thought and punched her across the face. Reaper threw her guards across the room, screeching his fury as he circled the table. Ana slumped against the table with a groan, pressing a hand against her jaw. She lifted her face to Jack, eyes narrowed in anger.

“Where is my son?” Jack snarled as he grabbed the front of Ana’s shirt, hoisted her off of her feet, and shook her furiously. “Where is he?!”

“Son?” Ana demanded as she reached out to grab his arms. “You have a son?”

“You are useless at your job,” Jack snarled before he threw Ana away from him. “Ziegler, where is Jesse?!”

“Jack, please, calm down,” Dr. Ziegler winced. “We’re working on getting the children back.”

“Don’t bullshit me,” Jack snarled as he rounded on the man. Reaper’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist, preventing him from lunging at the other man. Punching Ana was fine; punching the good doctor would only start a downward spiral. “You sacrificed your own daughter! WHERE IS MY SON, YOU SPINELESS WEASEL?!”

“No longer in L.A,” Reinhardt said as he walked into the room flanked by two heavily armed men. “Jack, Reaper, I know that this is difficult for you, but please calm yourself. We will not be able to get the kidnapped children back if we spend all of our time tearing at each other’s throats.”

Jack clenched his hand into a fist. Reinhardt had no right to tell him to calm down. It was his son that was kidnapped. Tt was his son’s face all over the media outlets because he had been carried out unconscious on the shoulders of the Talon agents. It was his son that Talon was threatening to turn on them if they didn’t leave the organization alone. Reaper growled, his claws sinking into the fabric of Jack’s shirt.

“Please,” Reinhardt sighed. “Take a seat.”

Reaper bumped his mask against Jack’s head, a silent request for him to listen. Jack nodded bitterly and sat down, refusing to look at Ana as she massaged her jaw. Reinhardt remained standing and set his hands on the table, smoothing his palms over the surface.

“This is worse than we anticipated,” he admitted. “We learned of Talon’s movements only a few days ago. We had hoped that we could intercept them before they left the city, but they knew of our tracking devices and removed them. To make matters worse, they have a Shimada.”

Jack and Reaper glanced at each other as everyone else at the table stiffened. So the boy Jesse had a huge crush on was part of the main branch of the family. That was an interesting development.

“Which one?” Ana demanded.

“The younger,” Reinhardt sighed.

“Well damn,” Ana groaned. “It would be his favourite son that was kidnapped, wouldn’t it? Any word on a ransom? Talon isn’t dumb enough to try experimenting on a Shimada.”

“There has been none that I have heard,” Reinhardt replied.

“So, when are we going in?” Jack asked. Everyone turned to stare at him and Jack rolled his eyes. “You don’t expect me to sit on my thumbs and wait for you to get your asses in gear, do you?”

“We don’t know where they are,” Reinhardt frowned. “We need time.”

“Think Jesse still has his cellphone?” Jack asked.

“Probably in his back pocket,” Reaper growled. “Kid wouldn’t be parted with it willingly.”

Jack pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and tapped a few buttons. He spun the phone around and pushed it into the center of the table as a map was projected above it. A flashing red dot glowed out in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Reinhardt glanced at Jack before he nodded.

“I want those coordinates taken down immediately. I want boots on the ground scouting the area and making sure that we can get in with minimal losses. We have wasted too much time as it is. Let us not leave these children in the clutches of Talon any longer.”

* * *

 

Jesse woke in a chair. He wasn’t restrained. His head hurt, but aside from that, he didn’t appear to be in any sort of physical pain. He swallowed, staring at the table covered in guns sitting in front of him. His fingers tapped on the arm of the chair before he slowly got to his feet. This wasn’t good.

He looked around, taking in the state-of-the-art gun range he was in. Everything was pristine, not a mark on the floors or walls and the targets at the other end of the room were still in one piece. Everything was brand new, perfect in every way. It was like everything had been built just for him.

That thought alone terrified him. Talon had spent millions on engineering him. If they had him back, who knew what they would do next. He swallowed and turned slowly, trying to figure out where he would be watched from. They wouldn’t just drop him off in a room and leave him unsupervised. They weren’t stupid.

“It is good to see you awake, Thirteen,” a disembodied female voice said.

Jesse turned to his left and glared at the wall. He couldn’t see where the woman was, but he had a feeling she was behind that wall. One way mirror, maybe? Made sense to have something like that when you wanted to observe your test subjects. Which is what he was; a prized experiment, like a well-groomed Persian at a cat show.

“You will find all the weapons on the table to your liking,” the woman continued. “We may not have had the chance to mold you during your developmental years, but we are confident that you can be taught properly. Please, pick up a weapon of your choosing and show us what you are capable of. And, remember, any form of resistance will result in one of your classmates being euthanized. You don’t want that, do you?”

Jesse froze and felt his mouth go dry. He was in no position to call their bluff. He didn’t dare try to see if they were being serious. If they had even one student with them, they were more than enough to suffer for. They didn’t deserve to suffer because of him.

He grit his teeth as he picked up a handgun from the table. It was heavier than Peacekeeper; the gun Dad gave him for his birthday; but it felt similar. He loaded the gun and took aim at the targets. He contemplated missing his shots, but Talon would know. He wasn’t sure how, but they would know and someone would suffer for it.

He took a deep breath and fired. He hit dead center on every target. Fake blood oozed out of the bullet holes, adding to the gore factor. It made him nauseous.

“Well done, Thirteen,” the woman praised. “I can see that your kidnappers did not fail in teaching you how to shoot. Wonderful. You will find that we are on the same side, Thirteen. All you need to do is cooperate.”

A door opened along the wall and Jesse headed for it. He was led through a windowless tunnel and emerged into what looked like a cafeteria. He eyed the food nervously, not trusting it at all. A man on the serving staff ladled food onto a plate for him and pushed it forward, glaring at him pointedly. He picked it up and headed for a table.

He sat down across from a little girl and tried not to think about what Talon was doing to her. Big brown eyes watched him nervously before she pushed her apple slices towards him.

“I don’t like them; they’re mushy,” she said.

“Apples are only good when they crunch,” he agreed. “You want mine instead?”

“Please,” she smiled.

Jesse handed the apple slices over to the kid and sighed. “So, what’s your name?” he asked.

“Lena,” she whispered. “But they call my Fifty-two.”

Bile rose in Jesse’s throat and he looked away. Thirteen and Fifty-two. How many other children were there running around the facility? How many gaps in between their numbers were there? Were only the surviving children given numbers or were they assigned at birth?

“I’m scared,” Lena whispered. “I don’t like it here. They stick needles in me and it hurts.”

“Lena,” Jesse whispered back. “No matter what, I’m going to get you out of here, okay? We just have to be patient.”

“I trust you,” Lena smiled and rubbed at her eyes. “Can you tell me a story?”

Jesse smiled and leaned forward. “Long ago, in a land far away from here, there was a place known only as the Wild West.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're heading into the end game, guys. Talon has their hands on Jesse at last and it turns out he's not the only one under their control. Say hi to Lena, everyone.
> 
> And Jack was holding back when he punched Ana. She's still conscious and most people that Jack unleashes hell on are KOed from one swing.


	12. Chapter 12

Jesse closed his eyes as the needle sank under his skin. He chewed on his tongue, tasting blood as liquid fire ran through him. The doctor; if the sadistic bastard could be called a doctor; rubbed at the point of entry before throwing the used needle out.

“Would you say that your vision has improved since the last injection?” the doctor asked.

“No; same as ever,” Jesse growled.

“Joint pain?”

“No.”

“Sex drive?”

“I’m fifteen; I’d say I’m pretty horny,” Jesse snapped.

The doctor jotted something down on their clipboard before instructing him to stand up. He grit his teeth as his naked body was measured. He tried not to think about what the information could possibly be used for. What good would it do them to know how long his penis was? Or how thick? Because he was positive the injections were making it wider and thicker. Yes he was focusing on the weirdest things, but they were making him think it! And it was really the only thing he could tell was changing, so, yah, he might be a little paranoid.

When the exam was finished, he was allowed to put his clothing back on. He shuddered as he pulled the tight fighting outfit on, hating it as it clung to every muscle and lump of fat on him. He felt disgusting and terrible and just wanted to curl up in a hole and never emerge again. He knew that they were trying to measure the changes in his muscle-to-fat ratio, but it only made him feel gross.

He left the medical bay as quickly as he could, heading for the cafeteria. He grabbed some lunch, ignoring the glares from the serving staff and went to sit down beside Lena. She was glaring at her plate, her lips a thin line on her sweet face. He pulled her into a hug, smiling as she huffed unhappily, and sat down across from her.

“What’s got you all in a bunch?” he asked.

“I hate needles,” she huffed. “They hurt.”

“They suck,” he agreed. “You want my apple slices?”

“Yes,” Lena grinned as she took them and happily munched them.

They ate in silence, but Jesse kept an eye on the rest of the cafeteria. Something was happening outside the doors; he didn’t know what it was, but something was going on out there. He spooned a mouthful of yogurt into his mouth and the doors to the mess hall were kicked open.

One of the girls from his class was dragged into the mess hall by her hair. Jesse scrambled to his feet, looking from the guards to the sobbing girl. She was wrenched to her feet and her head pulled backwards. Jesse held his hands out far to either side of him, looking at the masked guards while trying to keep Lena from seeing what was about to happen. He wasn’t stupid; he knew why the girl was dragged in where he was by armed guards. He didn’t want Lena to see.

“This isn’t necessary,” he said as he spread his arms wider apart. “Just, just let her go.”

A gun was shoved under the girl’s jaw. Jesse froze as she whimpered. The muzzle dug into the soft skin just above her throat and twisted. Jesse slowly sat back down, lifting his hands up into the air in front of him. The guards didn’t move, no doubt waiting for some signal to be given.

Lena let out a soft whimper and Jesse reached back to hold her hand. “Lena, get under the table and cover your head,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to see this.”

Lena shifted under the table just as the girl was thrown forward. Jesse knew better than to move and forced himself to watch as the girl sprawled on the floor. She scrambled to her knees and tried to reach for Jesse, her brown eyes wide. Jesse pulled his foot away and did his best not to wince as she was executed. Blood pooled under her with bits of bone and brain sliding down her face.

“Why?” Jesse grit his teeth together. “I haven’t done anything! WHY?!”

The guards ignored him as they turned to walk away. Alarms started blaring through the base and the guards bolted from the room. Jesse glanced around before he got to his feet.

“Lena, we gotta go,” he said. “This might be our only chance.”

“Okay,” she whispered as she climbed out from under the table.

She whimpered at the sight of the dead girl still bleeding on the floor, covering her face. Jesse felt sorry for her, but they didn’t have time to be afraid. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him to one of the side doors. He pushed it open, glancing around carefully as Lena held onto his pantleg. He wanted a gun so badly, but he’d have to wait to find one. He pulled Lena along behind him until he reached the door that would take them out into the main hallway.

“Hold up,” he murmured as he crouched down beside the door. “You gotta be quiet, kay?”

Lena nodded and covered her mouth, peering past him. Jesse pressed his shoulders against the wall and inhaled deeply. He listened carefully and only moved again when he was certain that there was no one on the other side. He didn’t want Lena getting hurt.

They hurried down the hallway as fast as they could. Lena sniffled and hiccupped, but she kept moving. He was very proud of her; he didn’t know if he was that capable at the age of five and he had two dads training him. He crouched down beside a room and pressed his finger to his lips. The door was open just enough for angry voices to float out.

“What do you mean ‘we can’t contain them’?” the female director snarled. “This is our last chance to bring this project to fruition and you can’t get Overwatch out of our base?!”

“Apologies, Director, but they are overwhelming us,” a man replied calmly. “We’ve already begun preparation to move the specimens to a secure facility while this invasion is dealt with.”

Jesse licked his lips as he guided Lena past the room. He waited until they were a safe distance from the shouting voices before he slipped his belt off from around his hips.

“Lena, take this,” he said as he slipped the massive belt around her hips and fastened it snuggle in place. “Do you know what BAMF means?”

Lena shook her head and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug, kissing over her hair. He glanced around like he was checking to make sure the coast was clear before he leaned in close.

“It means ‘Bad Ass Mother Fucker’,” he said in a stage whisper. “Think you can live up to that legacy?”

Lena nodded. “Jesse?”

“Listen, Lena,” Jesse gently held her by the shoulders. “I need to make sure everyone else is okay. I know you’re a smart girl; you know the base better than anyone. You need to find the people that are invading the facility and stay with them. They’ll help. That belt’ll keep you safe.”

“No,” Lena shook her head. “No!”

“Lena, please,” Jesse gave her a small shake, just enough to make her stop screaming. “I need you to be a big girl for me. Find the people breaking into the facility and get to safety. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you because I chose to take you with me.”

Lena sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. “You come back,” she said angrily.

“I will,” he promised before he kissed her forehead. “Go.”

Lena looked at him sadly before she took a step back. She turned into a streak of blue as she darted down the hallway, scaled the wall, and vanished into an air vent. Jesse grit his teeth and hurried down another hallway, hoping he ran into someone that would give him a gun.

* * *

 

Lena ran as fast as she could, zipping whenever she could manage it. The vents got her around the facility quickly enough, but they were only supposed to be for hiding from the guards when they were looking for her. She could hear gunfire all around her, but she was too scared to see who was shooting. She hid every time she heard footsteps, covering her mouth and nose so they wouldn’t hear her breathing.

She zipped up to a vent and shimmied through, biting her lip as she dropped down into one of the abandoned labs. She tiptoed through it, eyeing the cages of skeletal rats sadly. She felt bad for them; the mean scientists had left them to starve in their cages rather than put them down. She knew because she had tried to save some of them, but they were all full of weird lumps that made it painful for them to move and eat. In the end, she fed them chocolate and held each one as they passed away.

She thought she heard something flutter nearby and ducked down behind a table. She crawled quietly on her hands and knees, listening as heavy boots walked across the floor. She curled up in a cubbyhole and covered her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. She wouldn’t be seen. She wouldn’t be caught.

“I can sense you, little one,” a deep voice called. “Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.”

Lena didn’t dare move as she heard the boots move past her hiding place. She waited until they had come to a stop before she peeked out. She almost screamed as she stared at the massive black-clad figure. They looked scary with all of those bullets tied around their hips and the spikes on their outfit. She ducked back into her hiding place and bit back her whimper.

“Ssh,” the scary man soothed. “I will not hurt you.”

She screamed as talon-tipped hands grabbed her and pulled her from her hiding place. She kicked and screamed, trying to wiggle enough to zip away from them. She was pulled up against a big chest and she kicked hard.

“Let me go!” she screamed.

“Where did you get that belt?” the man demanded.

“My friend gave it to me,” Lena glared at the white mask and did her best not to start crying. Jesse said she had to be a big girl and big girls didn’t cry. “He said it would keep me safe.”

The man let out a low chuckle before he ran his claws through her hair. “Was his name Jesse?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lena glared more. “Why, do you know him?”

“I’m his Papi,” the man said before the mask melted away like smoke to reveal a man’s face.

He looked nothing like Jesse, but Jesse said he was adopted. She squinted at him, searching for the scars that Jesse said were on his Papi’s face. They all seemed to be there; the two on his right cheek, one through his bottom lip, and one across his nose; along with others that looked much newer.

“Jesse went back to find the others,” she said. “He told me to find the people invading.”

“You’re a little too trusting,” Jesse’s Papi wrinkled his nose as he stood up. “Hold on tightly, okay? This is going to make you feel very sick, but I promise it won’t hurt you.”

She nodded and clung to Jesse’s Papi. She tried to scream as she felt herself turn into smoke. Jesse’s Papi held onto her tightly as they travelled up through a vent and out of the facility. They zoomed along the ground faster than she had ever gone in her life and she was momentarily thrilled. They began to solidify inside of a big truck and she threw up all over Jesse’s Papi.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

“I knew it was going to happen,” he soothed as he set her down on the table. “What’s your name, little one?”

“Lena,” she said. “They call me….”

“Specimen Fifty-two,” Jesse’s Papi grimaced. “Do you know where the other children were kept?”

Lena nodded. “Back of the facility by the cliff,” she said. “It’s easier to dispose of the…failures there.”

Jesse’s Papi let out a low growl before he turned around and shouted for a medic. Lena grabbed his hand and pulled it close, looking up at him desperately.

“You’re going to get Jesse out, right?” she asked.

“I will,” he said. “You stay here and be a good girl for the doctors. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” she smiled. “You’re really cool, Jesse’s Papi. I’m sorry for being scared of you.”

“Fear is a good reaction to have with men like me,” Jesse’s Papi chuckled before his mask misted back into place. “Now be good.”

Lena nodded as a doctor walked into the truck and started giving her an exam. She watched Jesse’s Papi collapse into smoke and zoom off along the ground back towards the facility. She chewed on her lip before smiling at the man looking her over.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“You’re welcome, little one,” the man said with a kind smile. “Now, is there anywhere that really hurts?”

Lena nodded and pointed to her knee. As the doctor knelt down to have a look, she kicked him hard in the teeth and bolted. She wasn’t letting him touch her, not when she could see the Talon tattoo on his neck. She ran as fast as she could, zipping along until she ran face-first into a very solid leg.

She tumbled backwards and lay blinking at the sky. An enormous man leaned over her before gently picking her up.

“Are you alright, little one?” he asked in a funny accent. “That is quite the speed you have.”

“That doctor works for Talon!” she said as she pointed back the way she had come. “I can see his tattoo!”

“Oh?” the man’s one blue eye narrowed. “Well, let’s pay him a little visit, shall we?”

Lena nodded and watched in awe as the man hoisted a massive hammer onto his shoulder. That was so cool!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talon attempted to scare Jesse into obedience, but Overwatch showed up. Not soon enough to save the victim, but soon enough for Jesse to grab Lena and run. And then turn around and go after the others.
> 
> and don't tell me that if you were five and saw Reaper stalking about that you wouldn't be terrified.


	13. Chapter 13

Reaper ghosted through the facility. Blackwatch soldiers saluted him when he passed before returning to their shootout. He knew Jack was moving somewhere off in the east wing, leading the charge like he used to into the worst of the fighting. A soldier through and through, his beautiful killing machine was. He wanted to collect Jack and go get Jesse, but he knew that wouldn’t work. He didn’t have enough time to hunt his husband down and find their son.

He followed the hallway until he found the Shimada heir. Hanzo Shimada had a Talon goon by the throat and shouting in angry Japanese. For only being sixteen, Hanzo was an intimidating young man when he went into yakuza-mode. Reaper landed quietly behind him and waited for him to finish beating the talon goon senseless.

He stepped forward and reaped the goon’s soul, letting them collapse into ash. Hanzo shuddered in disgust, curling his lip.

“What do you want, monster?” he snapped.

“I know where your brother is,” Reaper said. “I could use backup.”

“Where?” Hanzo demanded. “Where are they keeping Genji?”

“Back of the building near the cliffs,” Reaper replied. “They wanted a ransom for him, correct? There’s a good chance he’s still alive.”

Hanzo hoisted his bow over his shoulder and spun around. “We need to move quickly, monster.”

“Don’t forget why I agreed to bring you along,” Reaper chuckled as his legs dissolved and he floated after Hanzo.

“I have not,” Hanzo murmured softly. “Forgive me if I doubt you have the ability to get me and my brother safely away from my family. They will hunt us for the rest of our lives.”

“Leave the details to me,” Reaper soothed. “Let’s just focus on getting Genji out of here.”

Hanzo nodded before he broke into a run. Reaper followed close behind, his signature shotguns ready to blast the last hellhole of Talon agents to bits.

* * *

 

Jesse grit his teeth as he lifted the heavy pulse rifle up to his shoulder and opened fire on the guards in front of the door to the holding cells. The kickback almost broke his shoulder; that explained why Talon agents wore so much body armor; but he managed to take down the guards without a problem. He kicked one of the mutilated bodies over and dug through their pockets for the key card.

He swiped the card and shouldered the door open. He pushed the muzzle of the gun through first, just to keep everyone from rushing the door. He pushed his way through the door and smirked at everyone.

“So, who’s ready to go home?” he asked.

“Jesse?” Angela whispered as she got to her feet. “How do you…where did you get that gun?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Angie,” he shook his head. “Come on; let’s get going.”

The survivors hurried after him, whimpering and crying their thanks. Jesse signaled for them to be quiet as he did a quick head count. They came into the facility with thirty people, including him. They were leaving with twenty. He grit his teeth in disgust.

Genji grabbed one of the guards’ handgun and cocked it. “Good to get something solid in my hand,” he growled around his broken nose. “Remind me to pay that bitch a visit for this.”

“Get in line,” Jesse smirked. “Anyone else want a gun? No? Well, keep back then. This thing has a wicked kick and I don’t want to accidentally elbow someone in the face.”

They moved down the corridor, but the fighting seemed to have come to a stop. There wasn’t a soul to be found; a lot of ash, but no bodies. It was unsettling.

“See anything?” Jesse asked.

“Nope,” Genji grimaced. “Angie, stop holding so tightly to my shirt. I can’t move when you cling like that.”

“Heads up!”

Jesse swore as he pushed the gun into his shoulder and braced his legs. The guards outnumbered him and Genji easily three to one. There was no way he could hope to overpower them. He swallowed and shifted his stance, glaring at the Director.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” she said sternly. “The intrusion has been dealt with. Return to your rooms.”

“Not on your life, lady,” Genji growled.

“Your family doesn’t want you injured, Mr. Shimada,” the Director smiled. “Now, please, return to your room. You’ll find them much more to your liking.”

Jesse spotted movement behind her and bit his lip as a black-clad figure emerged from the darkness. Jesse shot Genji a look before he stepped sideways, aiming at the Director. Please let Genji follow his lead.

“Yah, we ain’t going back,” he growled.

“You can be subdued, Thirteen,” the Director said. “Take his left arm. He doesn’t need it.”

Jesse had a moment to realize that this might have been a bad idea. Pain exploded up his left arm and he felt blood spray against his face. The gun tumbled from his hands as his left forearm and hand thumped against the ground. He screamed and grasped at the squirting protrusion below he left elbow, his mind reeling from pain and disbelief.

There was a roar like an infuriated beast before the guards were torn apart. Everyone started screaming as blood and gore flew in all directions. Jesse sank to his knees, still in shock as he tried to squeeze the ruined flesh together to get the bleeding to stop. He heard the Director scream and looked up in time to watch Reaper rip the soul from her body and consume it.

“Genji!” Hanzo shouted as he sprinted past the destruction and hugged his younger brother to him.

They started speaking rapidly in Japanese, hugging each other tightly. Jesse’s head swam as strong arms scooped him up. What was Hanzo doing here and why was he dressed so strangely and carrying a bow?

“Jesse, Jesse, look at me, _m’ijo_ ,” Reaper hissed.

“Why’d I have you do surgery on Prancer?” Jesse asked groggily.

“He was scared he had a bug in his belly,” Reaper murmured.

“Yah,” Jesse smiled before he waved his ruined arm. “You have me at a dis-hand-vantage,” he quipped.

Reaper groaned before he tore the sleeve of Jesse’s shirt off and wrapped it tightly around his wound. “I’m kicking your Dad’s ass for making you so punny.”

Jesse let out a weak laugh as he rested his head against Reaper’s shoulder. “Hey, _jefe_ , where is everyone?”

“Falling back now that the facility has been cleared,” Reaper replied as he stood up, cradling Jesse’s head against his shoulder. “Come on. You need a medic.”

Jesse groaned as he was carried away. His eyes fluttered closed and he sank into darkness.

* * *

 

“Jesse!” Jack shouted.

“Easy,” Gabriel soothed as he caught him around the waist and pulled him away. “Let the doctors work.”

“That’s my baby!” Jack shrieked as he fought against Gabriel’s hold. “That’s my baby!”

“Ssh,” Gabriel soothed as he held him close. “I know.”

Jack beat his fists against Gabriel’s chest, sobbing as his baby was put under for surgery. Gabriel held him close, rubbing between his shoulders as he forced them to sit down. Jack curled up against Gabriel, sobbing until his chest ached and his eyes burned. Gabriel held him close, stroking slowly over his back and shoulders.

It was hours before the doctors emerged from the room to let them know that Jesse was going to be moved to recovery. Jack accidentally punched Gabriel in the face in his attempt to get off his lap. He followed the doctor, apologizing to Gabriel as he rubbed at his cheekbone.

Jesse was out cold on his bed, his chest rising and falling steadily. There was an IV drip in his right arm and the heart rate monitor beeped steadily. He looked peaceful, sleeping through his anesthetic without a care in the world. Jack sat down on the edge of the bed and covered his son’s forehead in kisses.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner,” he whispered. “Oh Jesse, I’m so glad you’re okay. We’re going to bring Lena home with us. Reinhardt’s working on the paperwork. Who knew proper adoption channels were so complicated? Do you know how smart your little sister is, Jesse? She figured out someone was a Talon agent even though he’d been working for Ana for years. He’s in custody and Dr. Ziegler is taking over his position. Oh, I know you don’t care about any of that, Jesse.”

He was rambling, he knew that. But it felt good to talk to his son again after almost a month of worry and fear that they were only going to find a shell of the boy they knew. He had fought to the end, saving the other high schoolers before trying to distract the woman that ran the facility so that Reaper could deal with them. He’d lost his arm and a lot of blood in the process, but he was so proud of his son.

“We’re going to be moving again,” Jack murmured. “Reinhardt’s found a nice quiet plot of land for us out in Indiana. It’ll be nice out there, I promise. No Talon. No Overwatch. No one to bother us. You can go to school and finish everything off and then, well, we’ll see what you want to do. I’m so proud of you, Jesse.”

“Love you,” Jesse croaked as his eyes fluttered open. “Love you so much, Daddy.”

Tears started falling down Jack’s face again as he curled up against his son on the bed and held him close. Jesse shifted closer, lifting his amputated arm up to wrap it around Jack’s shoulder. They cried together, holding each other as Gabriel settled down on Jesse’s other side. He squeezed both of them to his chest, burrowing his face into Jesse’s hair as he let out a soft sob.

* * *

 

Lena swung her legs nervously in the chair. Her Daddy and Papi were coming to pick her up. Mr. Lion had told her a lot about them, more than what Jesse had, and she was eager and nervous to meet them. Papi was scary in that wraith form of his, but he had saved her and he hadn’t hurt her. She hadn’t met Daddy, but she was picturing a big man with golden hair and blue eyes that looked a lot like Jesse.

“Lena?” a voice called.

She looked up and blinked at the man smiling at her. This had to be Daddy. He had blond hair like gold and freckles across his nose and cheeks and blue, blue eyes. He looked young. Very young. Nowhere near old enough to be Jesse’s Daddy.

“Hey, sweetheart,” the man smiled as he walked into the room and knelt down in front of her. “You ready to go home?”

Lena squinted at him and chewed on her lip. “I’m not going until Mr. Lion says it’s okay,” she said.

“Mr. Lion?” the man asked. “Oh, you must mean Reinhardt. That’s okay, sweetheart. We aren’t in a rush.”

The man settled onto the floor beside her and leaned on the chair behind him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pushing his big chest out. Lena watched him, blinking a little in surprise. He wasn’t as big as she thought he would be. He was still a big man, but he wasn’t as crazily big like Papi was. He was slimmer, less barrel chested and more suited to running, she thought. Just like her.

“Do you like running?” she asked.

“I do,” he smiled at her. “There’s going to be a lot of room to run around in Indiana. You’ll love it, sweetheart.”

“I don’t like being called that,” she said. “The doctors called me ‘sweetheart’ before hurting me.”

“I’ll think of another nickname for you,” he smiled.

Lena narrowed her eyes before she looked away. “You smile too much,” she said.

“You don’t like it?” he asked.

“No,” she glared at him. “You aren’t Daddy. You’re a fake.”

“Lena, that’s not nice,” the man frowned. “Come on now, I expect an apology for….”

“Lena, come here,” Mr. Lion snarled as he stormed into the room.

Lena didn’t think twice; she zipped out of her seat, leaving a trail of blue in her wake. She hid behind Mr. Lion’s leg, glaring at the man that slowly stood up.

“Reinhardt, why are you encouraging this behaviour?” the man sighed. “She’s being scared for nothing.”

“You are not Jack Morrison,” Mr. Lion growled.

“What are you talking about, Reinhardt?” the man laughed. “How can I not be me?”

“Very carefully,” a new voice growled.

Papi stepped up behind Mr. Lion and glared at the man. Smoke billowed off of Papi and Lena tucked herself against his leg. He looked down at her and nodded his head in approval.

“How long did you cry for when Jesse was brought in for surgery?” Papi asked.

“Two hours and fifteen minutes,” the man shook his head sadly. “I was so scared….”

The crack of a gun went off and Lena screamed as the man’s head snapped backwards. Blood dripped down his face as he collapsed to the ground in a pile of gore. Lena whimpered and hid against Papi’s leg, shaking as Mr. Lion let out a grunt.

“I’m not that meticulous at keeping track of time,” a voice snorted. “Sorry about the mess, Reinhardt.”

Lena peeked out from around Papi’s leg and stared at the man. His hair was turning shock white, but there was still beautiful golden blond mixed in. His eyes were blue and very tired with a pair of slim glasses perched on his nose. The skin around his mouth and nose was taunt and scarred, like he had been burned badly. He was tall, but his muscles weren’t as big as Papi’s and he looked like he was made for running.

“Daddy?” Lena asked softly.

The man looked at her and smiled. “I’m sorry you saw that, little one,” he said as he knelt down. “That man didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Lena shook her head. “I knew he wasn’t you,” she said. “He was…fake happy.”

Daddy let out a chuckle. “You’re a smart little girl, Lena. You ready to go home?”

Lena nodded her head and held her arms up. Daddy picked her up and held her close. She nuzzled her face into his chest and let out a happy sigh. He smelt safe and like home. He carried her out of the building and she waved good-bye to Mr. Lion over Daddy’s shoulder. Mr. Lion waved back, smiling happily as Daddy carried her out to the truck.

Jesse was sitting behind the passenger’s seat and smiled as Daddy buckled her into the booster seat. He had a well-loved stuffed horse on his lap and was slowly running his right hand through its mane. He took a deep breath before he turned to look at her.

“Hey, Lena,” he smiled. “I want you to have Prancer.” He held the horse out to her and she took it delicately in her arms. “He’s really good at keeping you safe and he already told me that he loves you. He’s old though, so you have to be gentle with him.”

“Okay,” she whispered as she held the horse close to her chest. She nuzzled her face into the soft mane and sighed. “Thank you, Jesse. I love him.”

Jesse smiled as Papi and Daddy climbed into the front seats. The truck started with a rumble and Papi drove away from the building. Lena hunkered down in her seat, hugging Prancer close to her chest. Daddy reached back to run his fingers through her hair and she leaned into the touch.

She was safe here with them. They wouldn’t let Talon hurt her ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it's not a story about Jesse McCree without him losing his arm. And Lena called Reinhardt Mr. Lion; isn't that adorable?
> 
> One more chapter, guys. We're winding down.


	14. Chapter 14

“Lena, stay where I can see you, honey!” Jack shouted as he watched his daughter dart off into the yard.

“Okay!” she shouted over her shoulder.

Jack shook his head in amusement as she swung herself up into the tree. She was as nimble as a cat, that Lena of his. He let out a soft sigh as Gabriel’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He reached up to cup his husband’s cheek, inhaling deeply.

“How are you liking your retirement?” he teased.

“More than I would like to admit,” Gabriel chuckled as he kissed over Jack’s jaw. “Mmm, Lena’s loving the open space.”

“She’ll need it; she has to move so fast or her heart will stop,” Jack shook his head. “Dr. Ziegler is working on something to help her control it.”

“I hope it works,” Gabriel murmured as they watched her swing through the branches.

“How’s Jesse?” Jack asked.

“Talking with Hanzo over the phone,” Gabriel sighed. “Still a little out of it. Kids are settling in though, thankfully. Hanzo’s as jumpy as all hell, but Genji’s helping him to relax.”

Jack nodded and kissed his husband’s cheek. Gabriel settled down to watch Lena and Jack went inside. He found Jesse lying in his room with his cellphone sitting on his nightstand. Jesse glanced up as he knocked and smiled sadly.

“Hey, Dad,” he murmured.

“How’s my baby feeling?” Jack asked as he sat down on the bed and ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair.

“Broken,” Jesse rubbed at his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Jack hugged Jesse close.

Jesse pressed in close to him. His amputated arm shifted and Jack slowly massaged the heavily scarred limb. Jesse whimpered a little, but relaxed back against the pillow with a soft sigh as the pain slowly abated. Jack kept massaging until Jesse’s eyes closed and his near-permanent frown softened into a smile.

“Dad, do you…do you think I can still be a cowboy with only one arm?” he asked softly.

“Of course, Jesse,” Jack soothed. “Do you think the loss of an arm would actually stop you?”

“Feels like it has,” Jesse sniffled.

“I know, baby, I know,” Jack kissed his forehead. “But I also know how resilient you are. This will hurt for a little while, but once we get that new arm all finished up, you’ll be able to do everything you loved.”

“It won’t be the same,” Jesse murmured.

“No, it won’t,” Jack agreed. “But, that doesn’t make it bad, _m’ijo_. Just different.”

Jesse sat up slowly, looking down at his arm. “Dad…I want to say thank you, but I don’t know what I’m thankful for anymore. You and Papi, you’ve always supported me and kept me safe. Even before I started having memories, you two did your absolute best for me. Maybe it’s the pain meds talking but…I want to say thank you for everything. You’re the best dads ever.”

Jack smiled as tears leaked down his face. He kissed Jesse’s forehead and hugged his son close, nuzzling his cheek.

“You’d better tell Papi that,” he teased through his tears. “I love you so much, Jesse. I should thank you for every little thing you’ve ever done for us. All the smiles and the laughs and the pictures you’ve drawn have made everything worth it.”

Jesse smiled up at him and snuggled more. Jack held his son close, running his fingers through his shaggy brown hair and not letting him forget how much he loved him.

* * *

 

Jesse looked down at his metallic fingers and swallowed. Dad was tightening the last latches into place against his bicep. The fingertips twitched as impulses started shooting through the circuitry. He licked his lips and glanced at his father.

“Try curling your fingers,” Dad instructed.

It took a few attempts, but slowly, Jesse managed to curl his fingers. “I did it!” he grinned at Dad. “Dad, did you see?”

“I did,” Dad smiled and kissed his forehead. “It’ll take some getting used to, but it’ll be like old times soon enough.”

Jesse looked down at his arm before he slowly stood up. The arm was light-weight and didn’t weigh enough to drag his body down to one side. He managed to move his arm slowly back and forth. It felt like a huge victory.

“I feel whole,” Jesse smiled. “Thank you so much!”

Dad hugged him close and let out a long sigh. “I’m so glad you like it,” he smiled. “We can personalize it once you’ve gotten more acclimatized to it.”

Jesse touched the cool metal and smiled. He turned and walked proudly out of Dad’s shop, grinning as Lena looked up from the garden she was helping Papi plant. She shrieked as soon as she spotted his arm, darting forward to look it over. Papi got to his feet and smiled, his eyes sliding past Jesse to give Dad bedroom eyes.

“That’s so cool!” Lena squealed as she pulled on Jesse’s arm. “Daddy’s so talented!”

“He is,” Jesse agreed. “Think it would look good with a skull, Lena?”

“Yah!” she grinned as she bounced up and down. “With lights! Blue ones!”

“You like the colour blue,” he teased. “I prefer red.”

Jesse let himself get dragged off to the house so that he and Lena could come up with designs for his arm. He glanced over his shoulder as Dad and Papi started kissing. He rolled his eyes playfully. His parents hadn’t changed much at all. They were the best dads in the world, but even they couldn’t resist the pull of one another.

* * *

 

Gabriel leaned back on the porch swing and watched the meteor shower with his family. Lena was seated on his lap with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. She pointed excitedly at the sky, grinning back at him as she bounced.

“Papi, look at them all!” she squealed in delight.

Gabriel smiled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Make a wish, _m’ija_ ,” he cooed. “Falling stars can make your wishes come true.”

“But my wish already came true,” she chirped before snuggled against his chest. “You saved me and brought me home.”

Gabriel smiled and hugged her close. He adjusted the blanket across their lap as Jesse and Jack pointed out constellations to each other. He watched his family as Lena sipped her hot chocolate. His family. All of them; his husband, his son, his newly acquired daughter; they were safe at last. Talon was no more, Overwatch promised to leave them alone, and Reinhardt consulted them from time to time when he needed outside opinions.

Jesse and Lena were doing well in school, Jack started his commissions for mechanical companions as soon as he got a shipment of parts, and Gabriel could start writing songs again. It was peaceful and quiet. Just what they needed after being on the run for so long.

“Hey, Papi, can we get a dog?” Jesse asked.

“Please?!” Lena squealed in delight.

“We have Dad’s hounds,” Gabriel said.

“Those aren’t the same,” Jesse snorted bitterly. “They aren’t fluffy!”

Gabriel and Jack shared an amused expression. “We’ll see,” Gabriel said.

Jesse and Lena shared wide grins before Lena squealed about the shower starting again. Gabriel leaned back on the swing and smiled at his husband. Jesse had his head resting on Jack’s chest, a big grin on his face. Jack looked over at him and leaned closer, pressing a kiss to Gabriel’s lips.

“I love you,” he murmured.

“I love you too,” Gabriel purred as he returned the kiss.

Someone cleared their throat shyly and Gabriel turned to look at the Shimada brothers. They must have hiked up from the other end of the property where their little house had been set up. They were all bundled up for the cool night, long hair tied back with different coloured scarves. Sometimes it was hard to remember that these two precious children were raised to be killers.

“Hello, Hanzo, Genji,” Gabriel greeted warmly. “Did you come to watch the shower?”

Genji nodded happily and shifted nervously on his feet. He had his Pachimari plushie tucked into his sweater, making him look even younger than he already was. Hanzo rubbed nervously at his neck, clearly unsure if they were welcome in the family setting.

“Come have a seat,” Jack smiled and lifted his end of the blanket. “There’s more than enough room on this bench. Hanzo, you look cold; did I get you the wrong sized gloves?”

“No,” Hanzo smiled as he sat down beside Jack and pulled Genji down onto his lap. “I’m just not used to this weather, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” Jack mused before he set his mug of hot chocolate down. “I know just the thing to warm you up. Jesse, I know you enjoy Hanzo’s company, but don’t you dare steal my seat.”

Gabriel waited until his husband was walking past him to reach out and gently slap his firm ass. Jack jumped a little in surprise and swatted at his hand, laughing as he shot him a beautiful smile. Gabriel purred as his husband continued into the house to get another couple of mugs of hot chocolate.

Yes, this retirement was good. For the kids, for him and Jack, and for everyone.

* * *

 

Lena bit her lip as she shuffled forward. The door to Papi’s room was open, but that didn’t mean that she should walk in unannounced. He was working on his newest song, something about Golden Hair and Blue Eyes, and he didn’t like getting interrupted. She knocked on the door and chewed on her lip.

“Papi?” she asked softly.

Papi looked up from his guitar. “What’s that you got, _m’ija_?” he asked as he set his prized possession aside.

“I drew it,” she said shyly as she held the paper out. “It’s not as good as Jesse’s but….”

“It’s lovely, _m’ija_ ,” Papi smiled as he took the paper. “That’s Daddy with his hounds, right?”

Lena grinned and nodded. “Yah! He’s always playing with them and they’re so smart!”

“They are,” Papi chuckled as he scooped Lena up. “Why don’t we go show Daddy in his studio?”

“He’s working; he doesn’t like it when we bother him,” Lena chewed on her lip.

“No, he doesn’t like it when you go into his studio and trash his work,” Papi tapped her nose. “Come on.”

Lena giggled as Papi carried her out of the house and out to Daddy’s studio. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. Daddy was putting etching into Jesse’s arm, his special glasses down so he could see his work better.

“Hey, honey, look at what our second little artist made,” Papi smirked as he held the picture out.

“Oh, Lena, that’s gorgeous!” Daddy smiled as he took the picture. “Can I hang this up in my studio?”

Lena grinned and nodded happily. Daddy stood up and pinned the picture to the corkboard behind his workbench, setting his hands on his hips and smiling proudly. Jesse nodded his head in approval.

“Legs gave you a hard time, huh?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lena pouted. “I couldn’t get them to look right.”

“I can give you a few pointers, lil sis,” Jesse smiled. “They’re a pain in the butt to get right.”

“Thank you,” Lena smiled as she hugged Papi’s neck and snuggled close.  

Her family was the best and she was so lucky to have them. Papi loved her and Daddy loved her and Jesse loved her and she loved them so much. This was home. She was safe here. She would always be safe here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it. That's the end of the story. Not bad for something that was supposed to be a one-shot, eh? Fourteen chapters fueled by you guys. Thank you so much for the fun ride!
> 
> Just in case it wasn't clear, technically Hanzo and Genji are living with Jack and Gabriel. They live in a little house on the edge of their property so that they can be independent while still having legal guardians. Ana had to pull some serious strings, but it's the least she can do after sixteen years of bullshit.
> 
> Again, thank you all so much!

**Author's Note:**

> So there was this vine some time ago of someone pretending to be this bad person about to interrogate someone but then getting all happy because their "kid" drew them a picture. I have no idea where that vine is or how to search for it but it was adorable and perfect for Gabe and Jesse.
> 
> There wasn't supposed to be porn but Gabriel is probably one of the horniest muses I have ever had taking up space in my brain. I start writing him and he goes "we're having sex now" and I sort of get dragged along for the ride. Not that any of you are complaining, right?
> 
> Edit: foodformind managed to find me the link to the video on youtube. Go check it out! https://youtu.be/RvwCGQykzCA


End file.
